The Catalyst
by DementedLunatic
Summary: The entire underworld seems to be targeting Chris. Not all the elders are on their side. A mysterious and powerful stranger arrives and claims that Chris has a destiny greater than anyone ever imagined. A great evil from the charmed one's past has resurfaced. Set in the changed future. COMPLETE. Sequel in progress.
1. The Catalyst : Summary & Cast

**The Catalyst**

**Summary: **The entire underworld seems to be targeting Chris. Not all the elders are on their side. A mysterious and powerful stranger arrives and claims that Chris has a destiny greater than anyone imagined. A great evil from the charmed one's past has resurfaced.

**The cast: **These are the actors/actresses I imagine playing the respective characters. I will update this document if I add any more characters.

**Note:** The numbers in the brackets indicate age of the character. Parents and children are grouped together

* Indicate apparent age rather than actual age

** Leo started aging after he became a mortal

# Indicates previous generation

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Halliwell Family:<strong>

#Piper Halliwell (50) – Holly Marie Combs

#Leo Wyatt (50**) – Brian Krause

Wyatt Matthew Halliwell (24) – Wes Ramsey

Christopher Perry Halliwell (22) – Drew Fuller

#Phoebe Halliwell (47) – Alyssa Milano

#Coop (33*) – Victor Webster

Prudence Paige Halliwell (21) – Nina Dobrev

Reese Christopher Halliwell (19) – Gregg Sulkin

#Paige Matthews (45) – Rose McGowan

#Henry Mitchel (44) – Ivan Sergei

Henry Wyatt Mitchel - Halliwell Jr. (20) – Bradley James

Penelope Phoebe Mitchel (18) - Mary-Kate Olsen

Patricia Piper Halliwell (18) – Ashley Olsen

* * *

><p><strong>Friends and acquaintances:<strong>

#Billie Jenkins (40) – Kaley Cuoco

#JD Campbell (28*) – Jay Kenneth Johnson

Adam Philip Campbell (19) – David Henrie

#Derek Walker (52) - Seth Peterson

Daniel Gregory Walker (24) – Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Ella Josephine Walker (21) – Mia Kunis

Carver Julian Miller (26) – Luke McFarlane

Evan Allen Miller (24) – David Monahan

Aaron Adam Johnson (22) - Steve Sandvoss

Catherine Psarra (23) - Cobie Smulders

* * *

><p><strong>Elders and Other Magical Beings:<strong>

Niles (23) - Freddie Smith

Niall (23) - Chandler Massey

Andris (23) - Brant Baugherty

Arrazigal (22*) – Ben Seton

Elder Sandra (45*) – Elizabeth Dennehy

Elder Kevin (15*) – Andrew James Allen

Elder Roland (28*) – Eyal Podell

Elder Odin (57*) – John de Lancie

Elder Kheel (68*) – Bruce Gray

Elder Jonnah (45*) - Nigel Gibbs

The Lady (Unknown) - Unidentified


	2. An Ordinary Weekend

**Author's Notes:** Here is the first chapter. Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. Also I was not born and brought up in the US. I am not very familiar with American idioms. If I have misunderstood any of the phrases, kindly let me know through reviews.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>An Ordinary Weekend<strong>

It was late Friday afternoon and Piper Halliwell was preparing dinner for her family. So far, the day had been rather uneventful. It was almost evening and no demons had attacked the Halliwell manor, yet. Considering the history of the family this was unusual. Not that they were complaining. Piper was in the kitchen chopping some vegetables. It was a long-lived Halliwell family tradition to gather in the manor every weekend. The secret behind the formidable reputation of the Halliwell family was the tight bond they shared with each other. These family gatherings helped strengthen that bond.

It was not a good idea for the Halliwells to stray too far from each other. The sisters had learned that lesson the hard way. Every time any of the family members attempted to distance themselves from the others, something monumental and terrible had happened. But the sisters had their own families and their kids were bound to move away for school or work at some point in their life. It was practically impossible for all of them to live under the same roof and not kill each other in the process. The sisters found a practical solution to the problem.

Piper, being the oldest living charmed one, lived at the ancestral manor. She had bought her sister's share in the manor. Over the years Phoebe and Coop had sold the condo and bought the house next to the manor. In the beginning Piper found it a little weird to visit Phoebe at her new place considering it used to be her ex-boyfriend Dan's house. Paige and Henry eventually bought the house on the other side of the manor. This way the sisters were able to be close to each other in case of a 'family emergency' while living their own life.

Piper had opened two restaurants in the city, which kept her busy and gave her a chance to cook something other than potions. She managed one of the restaurants herself while the other was looked after by Wyatt's boyfriend, Carver. Paige now owned the club. She didn't need to go there very often since Wyatt's best friend, Daniel Walker, managed the club. Despite being half demon, his father, Derek Walker, had raised Dan with good values. The half manticore was as much a part of the Halliwell family as Wyatt and Chris were.

Phoebe published a book on finding love and a few other that dealt subjects like marital issues and raising children. All her books were very popular and the royalties were more than enough for her to buy 'The Bay Mirror' from its previous owners. Although she continued to write in her column, her main source of income was the book royalties and sales of 'The Bay Mirror'.

Wyatt earned his degree in mechanical engineering from SFSU. During the second year of his studies, he wanted to get his own apartment and move in with his boyfriend Carver. Piper was reluctant to let him move across the town. She even offered to help him financially if he decided to lease the house across the street. The two reached a compromise and Wyatt rented an apartment about two blocks away. After graduation, he started working at a small company in San Francisco that designed components required for various machines on oilrigs. Although most of his work involved drawings on paper and CAD software, he liked to get his hands dirty every once in a while. Wyatt and Carver spent weekends at the manor with the Halliwell family whenever they didn't have any plans together.

Chris had just started med-school a few months ago. He moved out of the manor and lived in the dormitory at his school. His two-year long relationship with Bianca didn't work out very well and as a result he was currently single. He spent almost every weekend at the manor. Being highly intelligent he was able to keep up with the studies without much difficulty. Sometimes however he felt that his family treated him like a brain in a t-shirt instead of a powerful witch. Although he had a few Wiccan powers like telekinesis and astral projection like his late aunt Prue and a few elder powers like electrokinesis, he had only recently learnt to heal. He could also ground a white-lighter like an elder, but that was about it. His brother had far more firepower. He had learned to deal with his inferiority complex with Wyatt over the years, but still felt a bit cheated in the power department.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Wyatt cursed under his breath as he saw the mess his subordinates had made out of his perfect design. He headed towards the workshop while muttering some foul things about the 'incompetent buffoons' and how they deserved to have their ass kicked.<p>

"Halliwell! What's the matter? You look upset," Wyatt's colleague asked him as he saw the blond man rushing towards the workshop. Wyatt just made a face that said 'don't ask! I'm surrounded by idiots' and went his way. Wyatt was well known for his skill as well as his short temper. His colleague knew better than to push his inquiries any further.

"If you need something done properly, do it yourself," Wyatt told himself as he worked on the prototype. The thing he found most upsetting was the fact that today he was not dressed for working around the furnace. He was going to sweat through his new shirt and probably get some grease stains on it too. They were working on a deadline however and he didn't really have a choice.

* * *

><p>Chris was happy to know that the last class of the day had been cancelled. This meant he could go home earlier and spend some quality time with his mom before the whole clan gathered at the manor. Although he would take offence if someone said it out loud but Chris was bit of a momma's boy. He loved spending time at the manor, helping his mother in the kitchen. Under Piper's guidance, Chris had become a decent cook. Being a chef was one of the career options he had considered before deciding to attend medical school.<p>

"Halliwell! What's the rush? Don't tell me you are going to spend your weekend with your family again," Chris heard his friend calling for him. He knew his friends were making some plans for the evening and wanted Chris to join them. The brunet Halliwell was the only single guy in the group. After a rather painful split with Bianca, Chris was not ready to start dating yet. He really wasn't in the mood to be the third wheel. He would rather spend time with his family.

"Augie knows the bouncer at this new club. He promised to get all of us in," Chris's friend informed him. Chris thought about it for a moment. If he decided to go with his friends, he was pretty sure that the evening would soon turn into a make out session so he decided against it.

"You know my family, man. I have to be there. Thanks for asking though. You guys have fun," Chris said before rushing towards his dorm room. Although his friends would have loved for him to join them, they could imagine how Chris felt being the only single guy, so they didn't push it any further. Chris arrived at his dorm room. His roomie, Aaron, probably had his own plans as Chris found his room was empty. He quickly took a shower and put on some fresh clothes. He knew traffic on the way to the manor was going to be horrible so he decided to orb home instead of driving.

* * *

><p>Piper heard the familiar jingle of orbing and she knew it was her peanut. Chris found it amazing and sometimes annoying how his mother could tell if he was home or not. Chris had always been able to sense his big brother. As a matter of fact, he had sensed and orbed his brother away from Billie and Christie when he was just a toddler. Then again, Wyatt and Chris shared a special bond as brothers. Despite being a neurotic white-lighter with a touch of OCD, it took Chris a while to perfect his white-lighter abilities and be able to sense anyone other than his big brother. Piper on the other hand seemed to have developed a sixth sense for her children despite having no white-lighter blood in her. The unfair part of it, according to Chris, was that her sixth sense seemed to be tuned to Chris in particular. It made orbing directly to his room after staying out past curfew next to impossible.<p>

"Hey peanut! How was your day? I wasn't expecting you for another hour," Piper said as she pulled her boy in a hug.

"My last class was canceled and I decided to spend some time with my family," Chris said as he returned his mother's embrace. He knew saying this would make her happy. Surely, Piper's face lit up. She knew her son would not have spent his free time with her had he not been single at the moment, but she was content in the knowledge that he chose his family over some movie or club.

"Need any help?" Chris asked picking up an apron.

"Of course. You are the best little helper I have ever had," Piper said smiling.

"I'm not little! I'm twenty-two years old mom," Chris pouted his lower lip looking like a kid. Piper could not help but laugh at the irony.

"You will always be my little peanut. No matter how much you grow," Piper said pinching his cheeks. The two didn't realize when Leo walked into the kitchen. A smile spread across his face as he saw his wife and his youngest.

"You always help your mother in the kitchen. How about spending some time with your old man?" Leo asked pretending to be hurt. Chris looked at his father questioningly.

"OK dad. What did you have in mind?" Chris asked his father although he knew his father's idea of quality time was probably hanging shelves or fixing a table. This was more Wyatt's department than his.

"Well. I was planning to fix the furnace before the rest of the family arrives. You could help me with that," Leo responded.

"Thought so!" Chris muttered under his breath but openly said, "I think I'll stick with mom. After all she is cooking for the whole clan. I think she needs my help more."

"Mom has been cooking since before you were born. I think she's got it covered. I could really use some free labor in the basement," Leo wasn't really expecting Chris to help him with the furnace but he decided to ask anyway. Chris was thinking of ways to get out of this situation without hurting his father's feelings.

"Really. I've got everything covered here. But why don't you go up to the attic and brew some potions for me? That would be a great help. We are running out of transportation potions and smoke bombs," Piper came to her son's rescue. Chris was the only one she would trust around potentially hazardous potion ingredients. Leo was probably the most knowledgeable person in the family when it came to magic. Despite having no powers, his advice was instrumental. However, he couldn't brew a potion if his life depended on it. Wyatt would probably blow the manor up if allowed anywhere near the cauldron. A smile appeared on Chris's face as he kissed his mother's cheeks.

"Sorry dad. Mom needs me," he said before orbing off to the attic. Leo simply shook his head as he headed toward the basement.

* * *

><p>Piper heard a car pull up into the driveway. It must be Wyatt, she thought.<p>

"Hey mom!" Wyatt said hugging his mother as he entered the kitchen. "Hmm. That smells delicious," he added sensing the aroma of the food.

"Hey sweetheart! How was your day?" Piper asked her first born.

"It was alright. My boss was surprised that I didn't have a 'family emergency' today." Wyatt said taking a bite out of an oatmeal raisin cookie.

"Don't jinx it. And wash your hands before eating would you? I can see grease on your hands." Piper said hitting him lightly on the arm.

"Those incompetent fools in the workshop couldn't get a single thing right. I'm telling you, trained baboons would do a better job than those idiots. I had to spend half a day, sweating over the furnace to finish the prototype I'm working on." Wyatt responded.

"I thought I sensed you," said Chris as he entered the kitchen looking for some potion ingredients.

"Hay Chrissie! I didn't know you would be home early," Wyatt proceeded to hug his little brother.

"Take a shower before you set off the smoke alarms, would you?" Chris said while briefly returning the hug. He didn't mean to be so blunt with his big brother but Chris found it annoying whenever Wyatt called him Chrissie. Their little cousins were the only ones allowed to call him Chrissie simply because Chris couldn't get them to stop calling him that.

"Oh bite me, Chris!" Wyatt responded. Then suddenly he grabbed Chris by his hair and shoved his face in his armpit. Chris struggled to escape but Wyatt was no doubt the stronger one and he knew his little brother didn't stand a chance.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, let go of your brother right now. You two are adults. Start acting like it," Piper admonished Wyatt smacking on the back of his head. Wyatt obeyed his mom and let Chris go.

"This will not end well for you!" Chris threatened while gasping for fresh air.

"Ohhh, I'm shaking! Somebody save me from my baby brother!" Wyatt said widening his eyes and shaking his hands in mock fear.

"It was your own fault. You should think of the consequences before you poke the bear. Truth hurts sometimes, you know?" Paige said with a mischievous look on her face. Nobody realized when she orbed in.

Wyatt frowned at the comment but left the room to take a shower without another word. Although Paige said that Chris had it coming, she did not forget to note that he spoke the truth and that Wyatt badly needed a shower. He always felt that more often than not, his parents and aunts sided with Chris. Although he had always been more popular in the school than Chris was, when it came to the family, Chris was the favorite one. He loved his baby brother very much and would do anything to protect him but his elite status in the family was somewhat annoying.

"Don't tease him so much, peanut. You are lucky to have such a loving and caring big brother," Piper said offering Chris some cookies. Chris smiled.

"I know he loves me, mom. He is a big teddy bear. And he knows that I love him. A little teasing is not going to change that," Chris reassured his mother.

* * *

><p>"Reese! Honey, where are you?" Phoebe's voice echoed through the house. Her nineteen-year-old son Reese had teleported into his room just moments ago. He wasn't sure if his mom had already checked his room and more importantly his bathroom. He decided to take a chance anyway. He quickly pulled off his shirt and threw it in the thrash. It was torn so it was of no use any longer anyway. He then took off his jeans and threw it in the hamper. He quickly entered the bathroom and splashed some water on his face and body.<p>

"In here!" Reese yelled while wrapping a towel around his waist. Phoebe entered his room as he exited the bathroom. She was surprised to see her son in his room.

"I was in here minutes ago. I didn't hear the water running," Phoebe said, her eyes narrow with suspicion.

"I was taking a bath. Shower was not on," Reese said hesitantly. He wasn't sure if his mom was buying it. His mom was a legend when it came to out of control teenagers and deceiving authority figures. Phoebe couldn't be sure if Reese had just teleported in but she didn't see any obvious signs of any wrongdoing so she decided to let it go, for the time being at least.

"Carver called. One of his waiters was sick and had to leave early. He was asking if you could fill in for a couple of hours before the family dinner tonight," Phoebe informed her son.

"Sure! No problem." Reese responded. He really didn't mind working for Carver. He was not scary like his aunt Piper. Besides he was sure his mom would start asking questions about his whereabouts this afternoon. She knew his classes finished a couple of hours ago. She would surely freak out should she find out where he had been.

"Mom. I need to change," he said gesturing his mom to leave and give him some privacy. Phoebe left the room and Reese closed the door. He put on the uniform for the waiters at his aunt Piper's restaurant and grabbed his car keys. When Wyatt bought a new car after getting a job, he passed his old car on to Chris. While Reese and Henry Jr. put all their saved money together and bought a car that they now shared. Considering the fact that they went to the same college and hung out with each other a lot, sharing the car was not that difficult.

* * *

><p>"Damn it, Dan," Prue cursed as she waited for her boyfriend outside her school. He was supposed to pick her up fifteen minutes ago. She needed to get home in time to get ready for the family dinner tonight and had to do some shopping before that. Every minute her idiot boyfriend was late was taking a minute away from her shopping time.<p>

"Finally! Where the hell have you been?" Prue asked Dan trying not to screech like a banshee. It was clear to Dan from her livid face that she was not happy.

"I'm so sorry," Dan said with a guilty smile, "I was stuck at the club doing inventory." Dan knew any reason, no matter how genuine, would not be good enough for Prue. He knew he should have called her but he also knew that he would have had to listen her yell at him over the phone for about fifteen minutes. That would have made him another fifteen minutes late and then she would have yelled for another fifteen minutes. He preferred being yelled at for fifteen minutes rather than half an hour. Prue was done scolding Dan by the time they reached the mall.

"I'll grab something to eat. Call me when you are done," Dan said to his girlfriend as he started walking towards the food court. Prue grabbed him by his sleeve and started dragging him with her.

"You are coming with me Mr. Walker," Prue said to him.

"Why do you need me there? I thought you had to by some girly stuff. I would rather eat," Dan protested.

"Oh dear. Why would you assume you had choice in the matter?" She asked.

"I'm a free man. I can do what I want," Dan said puffing his chest.

"Dream on Mr. Your leash is in my hands. You are coming with me. After making me stand there for half an hour, the least you can do is carry the bags," Prue said with a smug smile. He had only made her wait for fifteen minutes but correcting that detail was not going to help his case. Unwillingly, he started walking with her. The expression on his face resembled that of an inmate on death row who is being dragged to the electric chair.

* * *

><p>"You did <em>what<em>?" Henry Jr. growled at Reese. They were at Piper's restaurant where Henry Jr. had picked up an extra shift after school. Reese was there at Carver's request. Reese had just told Henry Jr. about his adventure after school. It was not a particularly busy afternoon and the two cousins found a minute to talk in private.

"Are you out of your mind? What if something happened to you? You should have at least told Chris or me. We would have backed you up. How could you be so stupid?" Henry Jr. fumed as he smacked his little cousin on the back of his head. He could not believe Reese would go demon hunting alone.

"I know I screwed up, OK," Reese said guiltily, "I know I should have called you or Chris. But I thought I could take care of a few lower level demons. I was prepared. I had all the potions I needed. I tracked down our demon and went after him. How was I supposed to know about the nest of manticores? It was…"

"Manticores? You fought manticores on your own?" Henry Jr. cut him off. The anger on Henry's face was replaced by genuine worry. He realized just how much trouble his cousin had been in.

"I wasn't expecting them. It was supposed to be a clean vanquish," Reese complained.

"That's exactly why you don't go demon hunting alone. You never know what you will encounter. Please, tell me you teleported away as soon as you realized there were manitcores," Henry Jr. said checking his cousin over for any injuries. Reese brushed his hand away.

"I'm alright. I wasn't hurt or anything. If I was I would have called Chris to heal me," Reese assured his cousin. Reese and Henry Jr. were as close to each other as Wyatt and Chris were. Out of his two older male cousins, Chris was his favorite one. Wyatt loved all his cousins very much but at times he could be over-protective and a bit smothering. He thanked god for Chris's healing abilities. Chris would have kicked Reese's ass himself for his stupidity but would never have told the sisters. Before Chris could heal, Wyatt and aunt Paige were their only options. This meant grounding usually followed healing.

"Oh thank god!" Henry Jr. said hugging his cousin. For a moment he forgot he was in the restaurant on duty.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" The question startled both of them. They turned around to see it was Carver. He knew that such display of emotions from any of the Halliwell males meant someone has had a near death experience or something just as bad.

"No. Not really. And neither does Wy," Reese and Henry Jr. said the last part almost pleading.

"I can tell from the guilt in Reese's eyes that he has done something stupid. Are you hurt?" Carver asked with concern.

"No, No I'm OK," Reese said too quickly. Both Carver and Henry Jr. looked at him suspiciously. Being a witch himself, Carver was well aware of the dangers of the magical world.

"Are you sure?" Carver asked.

"Yeah. I'm sure. They ruined my new shirt but I wasn't hurt. Guys, really, I'm fine," Reese assured them.

"Very well then. I'm going to keep my mouth shut as long as the two of you promise not to go looking for trouble. If Wy ever finds out that I knew something was wrong and didn't tell him, he will kill me. So if I even suspect that you two are up to something, you will have to deal with your cousin," Carver warned the two boys. Carver knew Wyatt would freak out and he didn't want to cause any unwarranted trouble for the boys. Even if he had known what Reese had done, he probably would have called Chris who was less likely to have a meltdown.

"We promise. We'll stay out of trouble," both of them said in unison and returned to their job. Henry Jr. wasn't sure what to do with his cousin. He loved Reese like a brother and knew he couldn't handle it should anything happen to him. At the same time he didn't want to get him in trouble with the sisters. He decided to talk to Chris about it later. He knew Chris was the only one of his cousins who wouldn't freak out.

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet back at the manor. Paige went upstairs to look for something in the book while Chris searched through the kitchen cabinets for the potion ingredients he was looking for.<p>

Suddenly there was a large crash in the living room. Chris and piper knew exactly what it meant. Piper couldn't help but think that her oldest child had jinxed their quiet evening. Piper and Chris rushed to the living room. A mean looking upper level demon with a huge scar on the left side of his face shimmered in. He was followed by a bunch of lower level demons and a dark-lighter. Piper flicked her hands and blew up the first demon she saw. Chris threw another one against the wall with his telekinesis. The upper level demon threw a fireball at Piper.

"Duck!" Chris yelled as he noticed the fireball speeding towards his mother. Piper managed to dodge the fireball though the escape was a narrow one. She could feel the heat from the fireball as it zipped across the room and collided with the grandfather clock. Piper flicked her fingers at the scar-faced demon. It didn't blow him up. He was just injured.

Paige realized something was wrong. She knew where the stash of the strongest vanquishing potions was kept for emergencies. She picked up as many vials as she could and headed to the battlefield. She orbed in just in time to see the dark-lighter aim at Chris.

"Arrow!" She called. And the arrow changed its direction and embedded itself in the chest of a lower level demon. The dark lighter turned his attention to Paige and loaded another arrow. His distraction was enough for Chris to send him flying back into a wall.

"Behind you!" Piper yelled at Chris who quickly turned around to see the injured upper level demon had recovered and was about to throw another fireball at him. Before the demon had the chance though, Chris's eyes turned pure white and electricity started to crackle around his fingers. Within a moment, the scar-faced demon was electrocuted. The demon was too strong however and the lightening bolt was not enough to vanquish him.

Wyatt had taken off his sweaty clothes and was about to enter the shower when he heard all the commotion downstairs. He quickly put a towel around his waist and orbed downstairs. He knew it was a demon attack. He could only hope that none of his family members were seriously hurt. Leo also heard the crash upstairs. Without his powers, he knew he would have been a liability for his family if he rushed upstairs unarmed. He had hidden an athame in the basement for just such situation. Unfortunately he couldn't find it at the moment. He was cursing like a sailor as he franticly searched for the weapon.

"Forget the others. Kill 'the Catalyst'!" The upper level demon shouted as he saw the twice blessed arrive in the room and joined the fight. He knew they were on borrowed time. Wyatt would vanquish all of them before they could finish the task assigned to them, should they delay any further. The dark lighter shot a poisoned arrow towards Chris. The remaining demons threw fireballs towards the unfortunate witch-lighter almost at once. The word 'Catalyst' had confused the witches for a bit. They weren't sure whom the demons were referring to.

"No!" Piper yelled as she realized that they were talking about Chris.

Fortunately, Wyatt was standing right behind his little brother. He quickly pulled Chris close to himself and raised his shield. He successfully deflected the fireballs but the arrow managed to embed itself deep into Chris's left shoulder before the shield was up. The arrow missed his heart by mere inches. Paige quickly vanquished the scar-faced demon leader with a powerful potion. Seeing the fall of their leader, the rest of the creatures immediately retreated.

Wyatt had disengaged the shield as soon as the demons retreated. Piper immediately rushed towards her fallen son. She carefully pulled out the arrow from the boy's shoulder and Wyatt proceeded to heal him. The wound closed itself and the effects of the poison subsided quickly with the golden glow emitting from Wyatt's hands. He pulled his little brother in a tight hug as soon as he was completely healed.

"I do need to breathe, you know," Chris managed to say. Wyatt let him go but then Piper and Paige pulled him into a hug and would not let go.

"I'm OK mom, really. You worry too much. Thanks for saving my life Wy!" Chris said.

"You can always count on me," Wyatt reassured his baby brother as he helped him to his feet. Leo had found the weapon he was looking for and had come upstairs ready to attack. He quickly realized that the fight was over and his family had taken care of any intruders. They all returned to the kitchen.

"What the hell happened?" Asked Leo with a worried look on his face.

"Oh! You know. Same old, demons attack. Don't worry we took care of it," Piper informed her husband.

"Any one else needs healing?" Wyatt asked. Although his mom and aunt were shaken, they were not physically hurt.

"Is it just me or the entire underworld seems to be coming after me instead of Wyatt?" Chris asked with a slight worried look on his face. And he was right.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way. Look at all the attacks that happened during past two weeks. They are targeting Chris specifically," Leo observed. This worried the family greatly. Wyatt, being the twice blessed, had always been the target for demons. Killing Wyatt or turning him evil would have been a great advantage for the evil. Chris on the other hand was not as powerful as his brother. There was no reason for anyone to target him specifically. Everyone in the family was aware of Chris's inferiority complex. Although they had seen the pattern, they had chosen to avoid the subject. Ever since Chris's break up with Bianca the brunet Halliwell had been a little depressed. They didn't want to kick him when he was down by reopening that sour subject.

"No. It's not just you. I think they are after you. I'm surprised they didn't attack you at your school," Wyatt said staring at his little brother suspiciously. Chris suddenly found the pattern on the kitchen floor to be extremely interesting. Piper almost instantly noticed Chris's changed behavior. The reason he was avoiding looking Wyatt in the eye was that he was hiding something and his mom knew it.

"Chris! Honey! Sweetie! Are you hiding something from us?" Piper asked in a loving but strict tone that only mothers seem to pull off. Chris was still reluctant to say anything. Piper put her hand under his chin and forced him to turn and look her in the eye.

"Chris! Were you attacked at the school?" She asked again. Chris nodded affirmative. Wyatt's eyes widened. He was clearly not happy with his brother. Suddenly realization dawned on his face.

"The other day, when you hurt your leg, that was because of a demon wasn't it? You told me that you tripped over something. You lied to me," Wyatt asked. His nostrils flared with anger.

"I didn't lie," Chris said defensively, "I did trip over something."

"But there is more to it than that," Wyatt realized.

"I just didn't tell you that I tripped when I was trying to avoid a fireball," Chris said sheepishly. Wyatt was fuming by now. He always felt that protecting his little brother was his greatest responsibility and he took it very seriously. If a demon managed to hurt Chris he took it as a personal failure. Piper realized that Wyatt was going to explode. She put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down.

"Damn it! Chris! Why would you keep something like that from me? What if something had happened to you? Do you even stop and think what it would do to us? When a demon attacks you, it's not _your_ problem. It's _ours_. You kept it from me of all the people! You used to tell me everything," by the time his tirade came to an end, the anger in Wyatt's voice was replaced by fear for his brother's safety and sadness at the thought that they were drifting apart. No more than a year ago, if Chris had a problem, supernatural or not, Wyatt would have been the first one to know about it.

"I didn't want to worry you guys unnecessarily. I vanquished the demon that attacked me," Chris tried to make his case.

"That's not the point. You know how dangerous it is to keep secrets in this family," Piper couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite as she said that. An image of the Chris from the dark future flashed in front of her eyes and her voice cracked. She had been keeping a huge secret from her sons, but it was for their own good, she told herself.

"That's it. You are not going back to the dorm on Monday. You are staying at my apartment till we figure this out. I'm not going to leave you unprotected." Wyatt declared in such a way that left no room for argument from Chris.

"What's going on guys? Is there a problem," Phoebe asked as she walked in on the conversation.

"Ask your beloved nephew," Wyatt said pointing to Chris. Phoebe looked at Chris expectantly.

"Demons attacked me at the school last week. Wyatt is just overreacting. It was not a bi…" Chris said but was cut off by Wyatt.

"Overreacting? You think I'm over… Wait a minute. Did you say Demons? Plural? This has happened more than once? Un freaking believable! Were you ever planning on telling us?" Wyatt was about to explode again. Chris was mentally kicking himself for the slipup. Piper moved closer to her eldest and attempted to calm him down.

"Wyatt! Honey; calm down. Yelling at your little brother is not going to accomplish anything. We need to focus on what we are going to do about it," She told Wyatt in a soothing tone. Wyatt couldn't believe Chris was getting away with it. Peanut would get away with murder with their mom. But her gesture seemed to work and Wyatt was much more calm by now.

"So. You are going to move in with Wy for a few days?" Phoebe asked. Chris was about to decline but Wyatt cut him off.

"Yes. He is," Wyatt said.

"And what about Carver? Don't you need to talk to him before making that decision?" Chris asked, "What will your boyfriend think about your little brother camping out in the living room?"

"Don't worry about Carver. Carver doesn't mind," Carver said referring to himself in third person. He had heard just enough of the discussion as he entered the manor. Wyatt's face lit up as he saw his boyfriend. He planted a quick kiss on Carver's lips and smiled. Carver knew how important family was for Wyatt. Besides him and Chris got along quite well.

"What about my privacy? What if I want to come home with a girl?" Chris tried once again.

"For you to come home with a girl, you'll have to find one first. You haven't been on a date ever since Bianca dumped your sorry ass a month ago," Wyatt said with a smug face.

"Bianca didn't dump me. It was mutual." Chris said defensively. There is another reason for the mighty twice blessed to feel superior. He is in a stable relationship while his poor pathetic little brother is single. Chris thought to himself. His inferiority complex was coming out once again. Piper thought she noticed a flicker of anger in Chris's eyes.

"Whatever!" Wyatt was about say something nastier but his mother interrupted. She could not afford to let it get out of hand and grow into a full-blown fight between brothers.

"Cut it out you two!" Piper said, "We have bigger problems here. Chris, Wyatt is right. You will be safer at his place. You are staying with your big brother and I'm not going to argue about it."

By this time the rest of the family, including Victor, had arrived. Paige and Phoebe filled them in on what had transpired in the manor while Piper returned to cooking. They had been rudely interrupted by the demons and dinner wasn't finished yet. Chris and Carver helped the Halliwell matriarch in the kitchen while Henry Jr. and the others helped set the table. Wyatt went upstairs to finish his shower.

* * *

><p>Although Wyatt and Henry Jr. wanted to discuss Chris's situation and the recent attacks, Piper had a strict rule, 'No magic talk at the dinner table'. Wyatt attempted to bring it up a couple of times but Piper shot him down. Eventually he relented. Henry Jr. and Reese had their own problem. Henry couldn't help but think that their recent encounter with a particularly mean looking scar-faced demon was somehow related to the attacks on their cousin. However, he couldn't reveal his suspicions without getting Reese in trouble for his recent adventure.<p>

"So. How are we going to do it?" Wyatt finally said as the whole family gathered in the conservatory. He was way too worried about Chris and sooner they took care of the threat the better.

"How about starting with what we know?" Paige said as she picked up a notepad. It had become more of a habit to note down the views and observations of all the family members to make sure they are not letting anything slip through the cracks.

"Lets start with the identity of the demons who attacked today," Chris said, "The lower level demons were clearly hired guns and there was nothing particularly special about the dark-lighter either. But the leader had a particularly nasty scar on his face," Chris being the neurotic one; was always alert. The color of Henry Jr. and Reese's face visibly drained. Also the fact that both of his younger male cousins were avoiding looking him in the eye didn't go unnoticed by Chris.

"The scar was on the left side. And it was a big one. That has got to be unique. Do you remember seeing anything like that in the book?" Paige asked Piper. Piper had brought the book of shadows down from the attic and was searching through it, looking for that demon. Chris was still suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and stared at Henry Jr. The blond witch was visibly uncomfortable.

"I'll tell you later," Henry Jr. silently mouthed to Chris. Fortunately for him, the only one in the room who noticed this interaction was Reese. Chris knew Henry Jr. and Reese had some relevant information. He also believed that his little cousin must have had a good reason not to reveal what he knew to the rest of the family. He suddenly realized what that reason could have been.

"Please!" Both of his younger cousins in question pleaded silently. It was clear to both of them that Chris had figured out what they had done with the way he was glaring at them. There was no point in hiding anything from Chris because he had figured out the worst part already.

"And what in hell did the demon mean by 'the Catalyst'? Does the book say anything about that?" Wyatt said after a long time.

"Hold on, one problem at a time. Let me search for the demon first," Piper said flipping another page.

"We learnt about catalysts in chemistry. It's a substance that alters the rate of a chemical reaction without undergoing any chemical change in itself" Penny provided.

"Since when demons learn chemistry?" Prue snorted.

"Demons infiltrate every field to establish a foothold outside underworld," Phoebe observed remembering the fact that Cole was a lawyer. Over the years they had encountered demons at high places. Clearly they didn't reach there without formal education.

"The term 'catalysts' is not just limited to chemistry," Henry Sr. said, "A catalyst could also be a person who instigates any action. Take a motivational speaker or a political leader, for example. Someone who can prompt a group of people to take some action."

"Can you imagine Chrissie as motivational speaker?" Reese said. He couldn't help but laugh at the mental image. A glare from Chris made him stop laughing abruptly but then Pattie and Penny burst out laughing. Chris's glare, however, was just as effective on them as it was on Reese. Even though Wyatt had a shorter fuse, the family always considered Chris as Piper Jr.

"Focus people," Leo said finally, "Henry, that description you gave applies to all white-lighters. White-lighters being pacifists, don't fight and kill demons themselves but they motivate witches to do it and protect the innocents. There has to be something more to that term." Everyone agreed with Leo but they had no idea what more could there be. Piper interrupted their thought process.

"Found him. His name is Dumat," she said, "An upper level demon, can shimmer and throw fireballs, received his scar in some battle. It doesn't say anything we don't already know. It doesn't say what he has against 'the Catalyst' either."

"Mom can you check the book if it has an entry on 'the Catalyst'? I'll go and check with the elders and see if they know anything about 'the Catalyst' and this Dumat guy," Wyatt said before he orbed 'up there'.

"I'll check the magic school and see if I find anything in the library," Paige offered.

"I'll clean the table and do the dishes. Junior and Rees can help me," Chris said. Piper found it a bit odd that Chris didn't ask Henry Jr. or Reese if they could help. But the two didn't seem to mind so Piper decided to ignore it. She had bigger fish to fry.

* * *

><p>"<em>He<em>'s back," Sandra said in a worried tone. Kevin walked in close behind her.

"We're aware of that. The charmed ones have taken care of him before. They can do it again," Odin said arrogantly. Sandra frowned but before she could say anything, Kevin interjected.

"Who're we? Were you planning on sharing this information with the rest of us?" Kevin was visibly upset with Odin's attitude. Odin was not too happy with the young elder either. There were clearly two groups within the elders. One group that included Kevin, Roland and Sandra among a few others, who believed that the Halliwells deserved better treatment from elders for all the good they had done over the years. The other group that consisted of elders like Odin and Kheel, treated the witches like powerful yet dangerous instruments rather than human beings.

"It was strictly on '_need to know_' basis and you didn't need to know," Odin responded smugly. Kevin had become an elder when he was just a teenager. Although he was shrewd and picked his battles carefully, occasionally his teenage rebellious tendency would show its face. Roland, who had arrived just in time to hear Odin's remark, realized that Kevin was about to say something he would regret later.

"But you kept it from me and Sandra as well. We are your fellow council members. Don't you think it's dangerous to keep it from us?" Roland asked Odin as he put his hand on Kevin's shoulder to restrain him.

"I have everything under control. There is nothing for you to be worried about," Odin's arrogance was downright abysmal.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Sandra said as she excused herself.

"I do," Odin said openly as he turned to Kheel.

"We need to find out what those three have been up to. We all know they are the leaders of the 'Halliwell supporters'," Kheel whispered to Odin.

"I'll get a white-lighter to keep an eye on them. It'll be alright," Odin assured his colleague.

"You found out something more," Sandra said to Roland as she noticed the apprehension on the elder's face. Kevin looked at him keenly. Roland made sure no one was around to eavesdrop on the conversation before he spoke.

"It's about 'the Catalyst'. I know who it is. I think he knows too," Roland said in a hushed tone.

"Well who is it?" Sandra and Kevin asked in unison. They were rather impatient.

"Isn't it obvious? It's the younger brother of the twice blessed. Christopher Halliwell," Roland revealed.

"It makes sense. Why do you think _he_ knows? Did something happen?" Kevin asked worriedly. Roland informed them of the attack on Halliwell manor.

"Do you think Odin knows?" Kevin asked.

"I'm _sure_ Odin knows," Sandra responded.

"We need to warn them. They deserve to know," Kevin said referring to the witches. Roland let out a sigh of frustration.

"Odin and Kheel are doing everything in their power to keep this information from leaking. They are trying to get the 'Scion of Balance' to issue a gag order," Roland informed the two. Sandra frowned at the mention of 'Scion of Balance'. Kevin had no idea what Roland was talking about.

"What's a gag order? And who's 'Scion of Balance'?" Kevin asked incredulously.

"The 'Scion of Balance' is the leader of the angels of destinies. His job is to maintain the balance between good and evil. He can force the elder council to bury all the information about the identity and abilities of 'the Catalyst'. This could prove to be disastrous for the Halliwell family," Roland informed.

"Then we have to tell them before it comes to that," Kevin said to Sandra and Roland.

"Sooner than you might think." Sandra said, as she saw Wyatt orb in at a distance. Both Kevin and Roland turned to see what she saw.

"One of us better go and talk to him before Odin or Kheel does," Sandra said as she walked towards Wyatt.

* * *

><p>"So. Which one of you has been to the underworld alone?" Chris asked Henry Jr. and Reese as they entered the kitchen. His glare made both of his younger male cousins unable to look him in the eye.<p>

"Whatever do you mean?" Reese still hoped for the impossible. Chris narrowed his eyes. Reese's expression told him that he was the one who had been in the underworld.

"Don't insult my intelligence. I can read you two like a book. And I'm almost certain that it was you," Chris said to Reese. Reese knew it was over. He started talking like a parrot.

"Alright, Alright. I'll tell you. But you can't tell anyone. You have to promise me," Reese said as if he was bargaining. But all of them knew he was in no position to make any demands.

"I reserve that right. I'll decide whether or not I'm going to tell anyone. Especially mom and aunts or better yet, Wy," Chris informed Reese that he was in deep shit.

"OK. Here it goes. Junior and I were at this movie the other night and we saw these two dudes in leather vests hanging around the ally behind the theater. It was rather suspicious so we decided to investigate," Reese said.

"Of course you did," Chris said rolling his eyes.

"Anyway," Henry Jr. took over from there, "We hid behind a dumpster and listened to their conversation. They were lower level demons for sure and they were waiting for some other demon."

"Soon enough the demon they were waiting for shimmered in," Reese interjected, "It was the scar-faced dude that attacked you guys today. He informed the others that the one they were looking for was the younger Halliwell brother. It could only mean they were referring to either you or me. Anyway the scar–faced demon gave them something and shimmered away."

"Thankfully I had a couple of vials of vanquishing potion on me," Henry Jr. informed Chris, "We then waited for the right moment and vanquished the lowlifes. The thing that scar-faced demon had given them was an atheme. I did some research and it was a cursed atheme."

"And you didn't realize how dangerous this was? Do you not know what kind of powerful magic is involved in cursing an object?" Chris asked rhetorically.

"Oh come on. We were careful. We're not ten," Henry Jr. said. Chris simply rolled his eyes.

"OK. Then what happened?" Chris inquired. His initial anger had subsided by now considerably.

"So, we scryed with the atheme using the maps of under…" Reese said but was cut off mid-sentence by Henry Jr.

"No. _We_ had decided to look for the scar-faced demon in the book. _You_ decided to scry for him and go after him on your own. I had no idea," Henry Jr. didn't need Chris yelling at him too. Especially when it was not his fault.

"OK. _I_ scryed for the demon and went after him," Reese admitted, "And that's about it."

"No. That's not all. You are now going to tell me what happened in the underworld," Chris informed his younger cousin sternly.

"Nothing much. I went 'down there'; well prepared I might add, to vanquish the demon. He wasn't there when I reached the spot," Reese decided that the less details Chris knew the better.

"Instead he found a nest of manticores," Henry Jr. finished Reese's thought aloud.

"Manticores?" Chris practically screamed. He quickly realized his mistake and the three of them looked around, worried that someone might have had heard Chris's outburst.

"Manticores?" Chris continued in hushed tone.

"Did someone mention manticores?" Prue asked as she entered the kitchen to get a drink of water.

"We were just talking about our half demon friend Dan and his powers," Reese informed her. At the moment Reese was the only one who knew Dan was Prue's boyfriend. He was almost sure she didn't want to reveal that little detail to anyone yet. As such, he knew she was not likely to push her inquiries any further. The three of them engaged in some trivial conversation about Dan and his demonic powers till Prue left the room.

"Please. Tell me you got out of there before they noticed you," Chris pleaded. He was genuinely worried about his baby cousin by now.

"They attacked me but I managed to dodge them," Reese informed.

"That's it. Consider the two of you under constant surveillance. I'll be sensing the two of you constantly till this is over," Chris told them in a no-nonsense tone.

"But that's not fair. What about our privacy?" The two whined in unison.

"That's the beauty of this situation. I don't care about your privacy. I care more about your safety. So, if I even suspect that you are blocking me or doing something you aren't supposed to, I will kick your ass personally before handing you two over to Wy and your respective mothers. Do I make myself clear?" Chris asked.

"But this is so unfair. I didn't even do anything," Henry Jr. complained.

"But I know you would have. Consider it a preemptive strike. It's either that or I ground your orbs. Good luck explaining that to aunt Paige," Chris told his cousin.

"I don't orb," the half cupid said smugly.

"I can ground you nevertheless," Chris informed Reese. Both the Cousins accepted the consequences of their action. They were well aware that their secret was safe with Chris. Besides it was far better than anything their mom or Wy would dole out. Chris instructed Reese and Henry Jr. to clear the table and clean the dishes.

"And where are you going?" Reese asked.

"I'm going to make some manticore vanquishing potion for you. They might still be after you. No, no I'm not taking any chances," Chris informed them before orbing up to the attic.

"Why does _he_ get to brew potion while _we_ have to do the dishes?" Reese whined. A smirk appeared on his cousin's face.

"He is the only one besides our moms and aunt Piper who has the skill to make that potion. Besides _we_ don't have to do the dishes. _You_ do. This is your mess buddy. You clean it up," Henry Jr. said washing his hands.

"Oh come on. You have to help me. How am I supposed to clean all these dishes?" Reese pleaded. He quickly realized that as of now he was the lowest man on the totem pole. Henry Jr. owned him while Chris owned them both.

* * *

><p>Unfortunately, Odin got hold of Wyatt before Sandra could. The conversation between Wyatt and Odin was quickly escalating to an argument and Sandra had to stop it.<p>

"You know something. You are hiding something from us," Wyatt accused Odin. His face was contorted with anger. Odin on the other hand had the same self-righteous smile on his face. It was as if he was trying to get the young Halliwell to loose his temper.

"You have been told everything you need to know for now to do your job. If we feel it necessary for you to know anything else, we will call you," Odin said refusing to give him any more information.

"That's not good enough. You haven't told me anything I don't already know," Wyatt pushed.

"Calm down. You have to trust _us_. _We_ are on the same side," Sandra interjected before Odin could respond. Wyatt knew she was referring to herself, Kevin and Roland when she stressed on '_us_' and '_we_'. The three elders had helped Wyatt and Chris before on numerous occasions and Wyatt was almost certain that they were on his side. Although he could never bring himself to trust any of the elders instinctively, he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Of course we are," Kheel said. He was worried about the verbal exchange between Wyatt and Sandra but Sandra hadn't said anything objectionable. But the fact that Wyatt calmed down considerably after Sandra's assurance worried him greatly.

Knowing he was not going to get any more information, at least at the moment, Wyatt orbed back to the manor.

* * *

><p>"You have failed me. Your incompetence is going to cost you your life!" A Dark hooded figure was threatening the demons that attacked the manor. The demons and the dark-lighter were cowering in front of the figure begging for their lives. With a wave of his bony hand the hooded figure vanquished all of the evil creatures.<p>

"Seer, what do you see?" The hooded figure asked a scantily clad woman sitting by a pool of grey liquid. The woman lightly touched the divination pool with her long fingers. Ripples spread across the surface of the murky liquid. The waves bounced back from the edge of the pool and met in the center again.

"I see total destruction of the Warren line. All of the Halliwells will die at your hands. But only if you play your cards right," said the seer.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the first chapter.<strong>

**Kindly read and review.**


	3. The Catalyst

First of all, thank you for the reviews.

tsu sama: I'm glad you like it.

doremishine itsuko: I have no intension of abandoning the story. I have already drawn the outline of this story and have a couple of ideas for a sequel. Real life gets in the way however and it may take me a little longer to get the subsequent chapters out.

Silken: This story _is_ centered around Chris, although Wyatt, Henry Jr. and Prue will have significant roles too. As the end of this chapter suggests, next chapter is going to have a lot of action.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Catalyst<strong>

Piper had scanned the whole book three times over. The only useful information she had garnered so far was the identity of the scar-faced demon that had attacked the manor earlier. Although it seemed like a breakthrough at the moment, the information seemed useless now. Hours had passed since the attack and all she seemed to accomplish was banging her head against the book. Piper closed the book of shadows in frustration.

"Please tell me you found something useful," Piper asked Paige as she returned from the magic school. She promptly orbed about twenty-five books to the conservatory.

"What are all these books for?" Piper asked.

"Well, since you already found the identity of the demon, I thought I would do some research on 'the Catalyst'," Paige said making air quotes around the word catalyst.

"All these books talk about catalysts? Lets hope we find something useful," Piper said not too excited at the prospect of searching through about twenty-five thousand pages of fine print.

"Well, at least we have some place to start looking," Paige said trying to instill some optimism in the room. She could see that Piper was still visibly distracted.

"Don't worry. We're going to find out who's after Chris," Paige said putting one arm around Piper's shoulder, offering some support. Wyatt had always been on the demonic hit list and now apparently Chris was on it too. Paige couldn't imagine how she would cope if the entire underworld wanted to use all her children for target practice. She knew she may never truly understand how Piper felt and she was thankful for that.

"It can't all be bad. I mean, you found the demon who attacked us today, didn't you?" Paige asked.

"We saw him shimmer and throw fireballs. He was obviously a powerful upper level demon. I was only able to injure him when I tried to blast him. Even Chris's electrokinesis didn't kill him. And the scar, of course he got it in 'some' battle. Where else would a demon get a scar?" Piper listed all the information written in the book and clarified how it was useless.

"It gave us a name, didn't it?" Paige pointed out.

"You vanquished the demon. Unless he manages to come back from purgatory during our lifetime, even that information is useless," Piper said in a cynical tone.

"Not necessarily. May be Dan can snoop around the underworld to find out who hired this Dumat guy," Paige was already formulating a plan. Piper's eyes lit up. She looked at her youngest sister proudly. She knew this could work.

"Lets call Wyatt and tell him to get Dan here as soon as possible," Paige said.

"Wyatt! Wyatt, honey come to the manor please," Piper yelled for her eldest. Phoebe, Leo, Henry and the remaining Halliwells who were brainstorming in the adjacent room walked in. Their discussion had turned out to be fruitless. Hearing Piper call for Wyatt, they assumed she had some kind of lead.

Piper waited a couple of minutes for the familiar glow of white-blue orbs to appear and materialize into her eldest. In the mean while, Paige filled everyone in on the plan of action. When Wyatt didn't arrive within few minutes, a frown appeared on Piper's face. She realized that this required a mother's touch.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell! Get your twice-blessed ass back to the manor right now!" Piper yelled. Ordinarily, Wyatt would have orbed in before Piper finished her sentence. This time, however, he didn't come. Piper's anger was slowly being replaced by worry. Phoebe and Paige tried to call their nephew as well with the exact same outcome.

"Chris! Honey can you come down here for a minute, please," Piper called for Chris. Paige was unable to sense Wyatt anywhere, so Piper thought Chris could locate him through their brotherly bond.

Chris had finished filling some vials with the manticore-vanquishing potion for Reese. He was looking for a secure place to hide it till he had a chance to give it to Reese. He certainly didn't want to explain to his mother why he was brewing that particular potion. He saw one of the floorboards was loose. He quickly took out the loose panel of wood in order to hide the potion vials under it. Curiously enough he saw an old discolored piece of parchment under the floorboard. His curiosity was roused. Before he could take the parchment out however, he heard his mother calling him.

"I'll be right there," Chris yelled from the attic. He quickly hid the vials under the floorboard before replacing it in its original place. He then covered the board with the carpet as before. He made a mental note to checkout the parchment afterwards as he rushed downstairs to see his mother.

"Chris. Do you know where your brother is?" Piper asked her youngest as he arrived. Chris seemed thoughtful for a moment. He was clearly trying to sense his brother. He knew that his brother was not hurt but at the same time he could not get a location on him. This could either mean Wyatt was blocking him or he was in the underworld. Wyatt and Chris used to block each other occasionally when they were younger. However, when Chris almost died in a particularly nasty incident involving a dark-lighter, the two brothers promised each other never to block one another. Wyatt hadn't blocked Chris in over seven years. Chris was in deep thought, trying to figure out how to find his brother before his mom had a stroke.

"Chris! Can you sense your brother?" Piper asked him shaking him by his shoulder. Chris looked around. His whole family was looking at him expectantly.

"Don't worry. I'll get him," was all Chris could say. He was about to orb down to the underworld when Piper grabbed him by the wrist.

"That's not the answer to my question. I can see it on your face that you know something. Where. Is. he?" Piper asked stressing on every word. Chris didn't want to get his brother in trouble so he didn't say anything.

"I see," Piper said as she realized that Wyatt was indeed in the underworld. He left the manor to go 'up there'. How he ended up 'down there', she could only imagine. Suddenly her worry increased ten folds. Her eldest was somewhere in the underworld and her youngest who was being targeted by every demon, wanted to go look for his brother.

"You are not going anywhere. I have enough to worry about for now," Piper told Chris. But this was no time to panic. She quickly came up with a plan.

"Paige, Junior; can you check with the elders if they know where he went after seeing them? Phoebe, Leo; can you get the scrying crystal and the maps of the underworld? Carver, Penny and Pattie, could you three please look up the 'To call a lost witch spell' in the book? Also gather everything we need for the ritual. And Chris, try to keep sensing him and see if you can communicate with him and get him to come home. I will call Derek and see if Dan is around. If Wyatt is in the underworld, Dan must know where he might be," Piper assigned everyone gathered in the room their job. Chris was desperately trying to reach his brother through their link. He knew that if Piper had to summon Wyatt, he was going to be in deep shit.

* * *

><p>"Tell me what you know about 'the Catalyst'," Wyatt asked the demon in a cold voice. He had the demon pinned against the cavern wall with his telekinesis. The blond witch was slowly closing his fist effectively cutting off the demon's air supply.<p>

"I… don't know any… thing," the demon managed to say as he gasped for air. Wyatt didn't believe him for a moment.

"Last chance. Tell me what I want to know and I'll let you live; at least for now. Lie to me again and you get a one way ticket to purgatory," Wyatt threatened. The demon still didn't budge. Wyatt was running out of patience very quickly. Seeing it as a waste of time, the twice-blessed witch flicked his hand and sent the demon crashing into the opposite wall. Before the demon had a chance to shimmer away, Wyatt blew him up.

"Wy! Where the hell are you?" Wyatt heard Chris's voice over their shared link for the umpteenth time. The urgency in Chris's voice told Wyatt that their mom had probably found out about his little excursion. At this point he didn't really care. His little brother was in danger. The elders, who were supposed to be on their side, weren't much help. The only thing that mattered right now was to find out who was after his baby brother. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't torture or vanquish Odin and Kheel. Although Sandra had assured him that she was there to help, Wyatt just couldn't sit on his hands. So he decided to orb down to the underworld and try to gather some information from the demons.

"Wyatt, this is ridiculous. If you don't come home right now, I'm coming down there after you," Wyatt heard Chris's voice in his head. But that threat was not likely to work. Piper would never allow Chris to go 'down there'; especially not right now. Wyatt didn't respond to Chris because he knew that responding over their brotherly link would give away his location in the underworld. Granted, it was very difficult to pinpoint his location in the infinitely complicated network of caverns, Chris was definitely shrewd enough to do it.

Wyatt didn't want to go home just yet. The only thing he had realized from his interrogations of about dozen demons was that whoever was after his little brother was extremely powerful. The demons were more afraid of this mysterious demon than they were of Wyatt or the Halliwells in general. Realizing that continuing on like that was likely a waste of time, Wyatt decided to orb back to the manor.

* * *

><p>Paige and Junior had returned from elder land. Not surprisingly their inquiries were fruitless. The elders had no idea as to where Wyatt went after leaving their company. Phoebe's scrying also turned out to be useless. Although they had the latest maps of the underworld at their disposal, they just weren't accurate enough. Piper had called Derek and he had confirmed that Dan was in fact home and that he had no idea where Wyatt was. This worried Piper greatly since there was a distinct possibility that Wyatt had been kidnapped or worse.<p>

All the Halliwells except Reese had gathered in the attic. Just as Piper was about to cast the 'To call a lost witch spell'; blue white orbs appeared in the kitchen and materialized into Wyatt. After about an hour of labor, Reese had just finished cleaning the dishes when Wyatt arrived.

"Why are _you_ cleaning the dishes?" Wyatt asked surprised to see his little cousin doing a chore he passionately disliked.

"Just trying to help out," Reese said trying to sound innocent.

"Right! Anyway, where is everyone else?" Wyatt asked. He didn't believe that Reese was cleaning dishes out of the goodness of his heart but he wasn't in the mood to grill his cousin about it. Chris had sensed Wyatt's return to the manor and rushed downstairs to the kitchen. Piper and the rest of the family followed close behind.

"Oh thank god you are alright! You _are_ alright, yes?" Chris asked Wyatt as he hugged him. Wyatt simply nodded affirmative.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were? Mom was about to have a stroke. The whole family was looking for you. Why didn't you answer me before?" Chris bombarded Wyatt after making sure he was all right.

"I was in the under…" Wyatt stuttered as he saw Piper enter the kitchen, "…world looking for information." According to Wyatt it should have been obvious to Chris.

"You have some explaining to do, young man," Piper told her eldest.

"Look. I went to the elders first. They didn't tell me anything we didn't already know. That Odin guy was least bothered about our problems. I think Sandra and Kevin want to help us but I didn't have a chance to talk to them alone. So I did the only thing I could do. I went to the underworld looking for information. You cannot expect me to sit idle when Chris is in danger. He's my baby brother. It's my job to protect him," Wyatt explained himself before Piper had a chance to yell at him. It was clear to Piper that he was very much worried about Chris's safety and she could not fault him for that. She was not about to let him off easy but she also knew that she would have done the same thing for Phoebe or Paige.

"But you endangered yourself. How is you getting hurt or even worse going to help Chris?" Piper asked logically. Her voice was uncharacteristically calm and it unnerved Wyatt a little bit. He was expecting his mother to go through the roof. Piper had always been vocal about her emotions unlike Chris. Wyatt knew his brother, a.k.a. Piper Jr. had a temper to match that of his mother but instead of venting every once in a while like the Halliwell matriarch, he had a tendency to bottle up all his anger and frustration and then go nuclear one day with the slightest trigger.

"Did you at least find anything useful?" Leo asked his son.

"I interrogated and vanquished about a dozen demons but none of them said anything useful. I think they are too afraid of whoever is after Chris. The elders know something but they aren't saying," Wyatt responded.

"Typical," Piper said. Her dislike of the Elders was evident.

"That's why we think Dan may be able to help. The demons may not want to answer your questions but they may be more willing to talk if they think they are talking to a fellow demon," Paige interjected. Dan had done some undercover work for the Halliwells before. Wyatt agreed with his aunt Paige. This could work. He pulled out his cell phone to call his friend. As the immediate threat to Chris had been eliminated and Wyat was home safely, the rest of the family decided to disperse.

"I need to talk to you two for a moment," Chris said to Reese and Henry Jr., as they were about to leave. Paige orbed victor to his home while Penny and Pattie gave their dad a lift home. Phoebe and Coop teleported out that left Leo, Piper and Carver in the living room. Wyatt was talking to Dan while Chris took his two cousins up to the attic.

"OK. Here are some manticore-vanquishing potions, acid and smoke bomb. Remember I'll be watching you two. And be careful, would you?" Chris told his little cousins as he handed them the vials. A small smile appeared on Reese's face.

"Thanks, for the potions and for not telling on me," Reese said.

"Don't worry about it. And don't make me sorry that I covered for you," Chris told him. Henry Jr. was looking intently at the parchment that Chris had found before. He knelt down and was about to pick it up when his mother's voice rang through his head.

"That's my mom. I have to go home. By the way did you know there is a parchment in there?" Henry Jr. asked as he stood up. Chris simply nodded affirmative.

"I saw it earlier but I'm not sure what its doing there," Chris informed his cousin.

"Anyway, I've to go. I'll see you two later," Henry Jr. said as he orbed off. Reese followed the blond witch leaving Chris in the attic. He was about to pickup the parchment from under the floorboard when he heard footsteps on the staircase. He quickly replaced the floorboard and covered it with the carpet. This was second time in that day he had been interrupted when he was about to investigate the curious piece of paper.

"Why don't you get some sleep buddy? It's been a long day," Leo said to his youngest as he entered the attic. Chris simply nodded and left for his room. He could hear Wyatt saying goodbye to their mom so he decided to go downstairs and see Wyatt off.

"Take care, peanut. And call me at first sign of trouble. No matter what time it is. You know I'm here for you, right?" Wyatt asked as he hugged his baby brother.

"I know Wy. Don't worry about me so much. You are worse than mom," Chris said as he returned the hug. Wyatt and Carver orbed to their apartment after Carver said his goodbyes. Chris wanted to ask his mom about the parchment but he quickly realized that it would be difficult to explain why he was looking under the floorboard in the first place.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple of days since the most recent attack on the manor and Dan was getting ready to go down to the underworld and look for any information he could find about the attacks. He was dressed like a typical lower level demon in a black leather vest and leather pants. He had let his stubble grow for a couple of days to achieve a ragged look. He hated dressing like this. Both Wyatt and Chris had pointed out that he looked ridiculous. Chris quickly took Dan's picture with his phone realizing it would come in handy should he need to blackmail his half demon friend in the future. Dan launched himself at Chris reaching out for his phone. Chris however quickly orbed out of the way. Wyatt was trying his best not to laugh at his best friend. Unfortunately for Dan, his little sister Ella walked into the room and immediately burst out laughing. Dan's face turned red as a tomato with embarrassment.<p>

"You will pay for this!" Dan threatened Wyatt, as he couldn't control his laughter any longer.

"May be I will. But it would be worth it," Wyatt responded. Dan couldn't possibly stay there any longer and shimmered away to the underworld.

* * *

><p>"Ah! The elder white-lighters! I was wondering when you were going to summon me," the tall, dark haired, pale skinned man said as he stepped out of the summoning circle and walked towards Odin. Although it was useless to guess the man's age, he appeared to be in early twenties. That didn't mean anything however as elders like Roland looked young and had been around for thousands of years.<p>

"We are in a great need of your assistance sire," Odin said politely directing the newcomer to walk with him.

"Call me Arrazigal. This is about 'the Catalyst', I take it?" The stranger inquired after shaking Odin's hand.

"Yes. He and his brother are a great danger to us all. They need to be stopped and you have to help us," Kheel interjected.

"I don't _have_ to do anything for you," Arrazigal said stressing on 'have'. Odin discretely told Kheel to let him do the talking.

"The twice-blessed is vulnerable to corruption, sire. If he turns evil, with his own power and the help of 'the Catalyst', he will be unstoppable. We have to eliminate the threat for the greater good," Odin said. He knew he had no choice but to get the 'Scion of Balance' on their side.

"I'll be the judge of that. My job is to maintain balance, remember?" Arrazigal seemed less than impressed with Odin's presumptuous manner.

"Then think of the gross imbalance that will ensue if the twice-blessed turns to the dark side," Odin argued. Arrazigal seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Fair enough", he said at last. Odin was encouraged by this and continued to talk and make his case. Arrazigal seemed distracted however as he looked around curiously. His eyes soon settled on Kevin and Roland who were standing a few paces away.

"We have to tell them, as soon as possible," Kevin whispered to Roland when he saw Arrazigal talking to Odin and Kheel. As soon as Kevin said those words, Arrazigal looked at him as if he could hear him. He was nodding to something Odin said which worried Kevin and Roland greatly.

"I agree. There is no point in waiting any longer. We have to tell them now while we still have the choice," Roland responded to Kevin's suggestion. Both of them were keenly observing the interaction between Arrazigal and Odin. A smirk appeared on Arrazigal's face as soon as Roland responded Kevin in affirmative. This startled the two elders as the leader of the angels of destinies abruptly ended his conversation with Odin and started walking towards them.

"Nice day, is it not?" Arrazigal asked rhetorically. Both the elders were a bit surprised. They did not expect small talk from one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

"Are you here to tell us to keep our mouths shut?" Kevin asked directly. He had never been accused of having tact before. Arrazigal chuckled.

"Straight to the point, I see. Odin wants me to issue a gag order. But I haven't made my mind, _yet_. It is a decision that will have a profound impact on the world's destiny. I need to ponder on all the possibilities. It will at least take a couple of hours for me to reach a decision," Arrazigal said looking Kevin in the eye. He had essentially given the young elder a time window to help his friends.

* * *

><p>Dan had been at a bar in the underworld for several hours. He hadn't had a chance to return to the Halliwells to let them know he was OK. He knew his friends were worried about him by now but he didn't want to report back until he had some concrete information. One of his closest friend's life was in jeopardy and he was going to do everything he could to help him. The place bore striking similarity to the one Phoebe had destroyed when she single handedly killed all the demons watching the reality show about twenty-two years ago. So far he had chatted with a few demons after he got them drunk enough to lose their inhibitions.<p>

"You are kidding right?" The demon slurred. Dan made a face that said that he indeed was kidding. The demon chuckled.

"I mean, every demon can sense him," the demon managed to say before he finally passed out. Dan mentally cursed himself for getting him too hammered to be of any use. That's when he heard a female voice.

"Hey there handsome! I don't think I've seen you around here before," a female demon said as she approached him. Dan smiled at her indicating he was interested in her. She was wearing a tight sleeveless leather top that was held together just by a clasp in the front. Her long dark hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her attire didn't leave anything for imagination. Unwittingly Dan's eyes lingered over her curves for but a moment. He quickly snapped out of it though as he thought of his girlfriend, Prue. He knew she would vanquish him if she ever found out what he was about to do.

"This is a rather boring place, don't you think?" She asked as she sat down next to Dan.

"It just got a lot more interesting," Dan said with a smile.

"I'm Xia. And I think we can find something more exciting to do, _together_," she said moving closer to him while twirling her finger over his chest.

"What did you have in mind?" Dan asked trying to sound intrigued and hoping Prue never finds out about this conversation.

"Why don't you follow me and find out?" She said. Dan gestured her to lead on. He paid the barkeep and followed Xia. Soon enough he found himself in a deserted part of the underworld not very far from the bar. Dan wasn't really looking forward to a make out session with a demon. Fortunately for him it never came to that.

"Can you imagine being one of the most powerful demons in the underworld?" She asked him as they approached the secluded spot. Dan was a bit baffled by her question. He looked at her dumbstruck.

"Because that's what you and I could be. The source has put a bounty on the Halliwell boy. He has promised that whoever manages to kill Christopher Halliwell will receive unimaginable power. Just think of the possibilities," She said. Dan was startled at the mention of the source of all that is evil. It all made sense to him now. Every demon could sense the source's presence. That's why the drunken demon thought Dan was kidding. He had assumed that Dan could sense the source. And Xia was, in fact, trying to seduce him into killing one of his closest friends. Dan couldn't believe his luck.

"Why is the source interested in that weakling?" Dan mentally winced as he insulted his friend but it was necessary. Seeing the question as a sign that Dan was walking into her trap, she volunteered some more information.

"I don't know for sure but the source thinks that the Halliwell boy with his twice-blessed brother is the key to a great power. I think the source wants to destroy the new power before the good has a chance to use it against the evil," the demon informed Dan. She moved close to him seductively and whispered in his ear.

"Will you help me? Will you help me get rid of the younger Halliwell boy?" She asked. A smirk appeared on Dan's face.

"I think I'll rather vanquish you," Dan said as he conjured an energy ball. Xia looked shocked but was too quick for the half manticore. Dan threw the energy ball at her. Before it hit her however, she had conjured an atheme and threw it at Dan.

"Damn it! That hurt," Dan cursed as the atheme embedded itself in his chest. It had hit him too close to the heart and he felt himself being weakened. The only plus side of this situation was that Xia went up in flames as soon as the energy ball hit her. Gathering all the strength he could muster, Dan shimmered himself to the manor.

* * *

><p>"I'll go after him. We need to find out what happened. Dan has risked his life for me. I have to make sure that he's OK'; Chris said finally. It was late afternoon and all the Halliwells had gathered back at the manor. Piper and Leo were by the book in the attic. Wyatt and Henry Jr. were sitting on aunt Perl's sofa while Chris was standing by the doorway. Derek, worried about his son was pacing back and forth.<p>

"No, you will not!" Piper and Wyatt said almost in unison. Before Chris could open his mouth to make his case, Wyatt stopped him.

"The entire underworld is after you. If your cover were blown, you would be in huge trouble. It's too risky. Besides, Dan has been undercover before. He's one of the smartest guys I know. He'll be all right. Don't worry," Wyatt assured his brother although last part of his statement was directed towards Derek, Dan's father. Derek knew the kind of danger his boy was in but he also knew that Dan would do anything for his friends. Derek couldn't have done anything to stop Dan from going 'down there' to help the Halliwells. Only thing he could do was prey for his son's safety.

"When was my cover ever compromised?" Chris said looking at his cousin for support. The look on Junior's face however, told Chris that he agreed with his big brother.

"Your brother is right. We cannot take that chance," Leo said. Chris was disappointed. He was as stubborn as his parents and would not give up that easily. However the conversation was cut short as shimmers rippled in the attic and everyone jumped into combat mode.

They were relieved to see the shimmer materialize into Dan. The relief was only momentary however, since Dan was badly injured. Leo saw the condition Dan was in and rushed to his aid. With Wyatt's help, he settled the half demon on the floor. Leo carefully pulled out the atheme hoping he didn't do any more damage. Dan was bleeding heavily and the front of his vest was drenched in blood. Leo carefully pealed the vest away from Dan's body to examine the injury. He was sweating profusely and almost unconscious from the blood loss. Leo knew that he would go into shock if they didn't hurry. Wyatt quickly proceeded to heal. Dan was half demon and half human. Wyatt knew it would take a long time to heal him, time he may not have. Chris joined Wyatt in healing his friend, knowing two healers would get the job done quicker.

"Oh my god!" Prue exclaimed as she walked into the attic while Chris and Wyatt were trying to heal their friend. She stood there for a moment stunned with horror and finally collapsed on her knees sobbing.

Much to their pleasant surprise, Dan's wound healed pretty quickly. They didn't care how it was possible. They were simply too happy to see Dan alive. The half manticore gasped for air as the wound on his chest closed itself. Before anyone could react, Prue pulled her boyfriend into her arms and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

Wyatt's jaw dropped to the floor. Derek, Piper and Leo on the other hand didn't seem all that surprised. Chris and Henry Jr. exchanged a look and Junior rolled his eyes and handed Chris a twenty-dollar bill. Prue saw this exchange between her cousins through the corner of her eye and suddenly let go of Dan. Now it was her turn to be astonished.

"You two bet on us? Seriously, guys?" Prue asked Chris and Henry Jr. A smirk appeared on Piper's face. Wyatt still stunned, could only gape at his cousin, then at his best friend and finally at his baby brother.

"What the hell is going on here? How long have you two been dating? And Chris, how long have you known?" He finally managed to ask. Although he immediately regretted it seeing as he was the only clueless one in the room and his questions made it blindingly obvious. Dan's face turned red and so did Prue's.

"About two months", Dan responded to Wyatt's question.

"I actually knew before they did," Chris said sheepishly. Prue raised her eyebrows in question.

"The way two of you behave around each other. And it's not my fault you are as bad as your mother in keeping secrets. So Junior and I made a little bet about four months ago that you two will start dating before my birthday," Chris told Prue who gave him the evil eye.

"And dad, aunt Piper, uncle Leo, you guys don't seem all that surprised. Does that mean everyone except blondie here knows about us?" Dan asked. Wyatt smacked on the back of his head for calling him blondie.

"Pretty much. Phoebe and Coop know. I mean, come on, one of them is a cupid and the other gives advice on relationships. Did you honestly expect them not to notice? And what Phoebe knows, everyone does," Piper answered.

"And to think that my best friend and my brother, my flesh and blood keep such things from me," Wyatt sounded hurt. Dan put his hand on one of Wyatt's shoulder while Prue held the other.

"It wasn't like that Wy! Believe me. I just didn't want to be vanquished at my best friend's hands," Dan said to Wyatt who narrowed his eyes at him. Prue slapped her boyfriend's arm for mocking her cousin.

"You know how you enter a over-protective big brother mode whenever me or the twins go out on a date? We weren't sure how you would react if you knew about us," Prue explained.

"What's your excuse?" Wyatt asked Chris who had settled down on aunt Perl's sofa with Henry Jr. trying to figure out what to say to his big brother to convince him that they were not drifting apart.

"It wasn't my place to tell, Wy. It's Prue's and Dan's business. I'm happy for them but if they didn't want to tell anyone, it's their prerogative," Chris told his brother who clearly wasn't happy.

"You told Junior!" Wyatt accused.

"No I didn't. He figured it out by himself," Chris said.

"Whatever. All I know is that you used to tell me everything. And now we act like friends rather than brothers. I don't like it," Wyatt complained.

"Anyway, Dan. What the hell happened to you?" Piper asked Dan, changing the subject from Wyatt's insecurities to other pressing matters. She was curious as to who stabbed Dan and why. Dan told them all the important things carefully avoiding the part where he flirted with the demon. Highlights of the story were the facts that the source was back and that he wants to eliminate Chris because he is somehow crucial to formation of some great power. After Dan was finished narrating the account of his mission, everyone in the attic was contemplating the significance of this new information.

"What I don't understand is, why was I not able to sense the source. I mean after all I am half demon. If I could have sensed him before, we could have been more prepared," Dan said. He couldn't help but think that he had somehow failed his friends. Leo smiled wholeheartedly.

"Dan, it's a good thing that you were not able to sense the source. After Junior was born Paige insisted on your wiccaning. The Halliwell matriarchs blessed you and Junior the same day. Although your powers have a demonic origin, technically you are a witch. You couldn't sense the source because you are not and have never been evil. I think that's also the reason why Wyatt and Chris were able to heal you so quickly. This also means that the source cannot sense you either," Leo explained. A proud smile appeared on Derek's face. Dan seemed visibly relieved. Ever since he had found out that he was half demon, he had always been worried that because of his lineage, he was fundamentally evil and that all his friends are eventually going to hate him for it. His father along with Wyatt and Chris had assured him time and time again that he was being unreasonable but Leo's rationale essentially gave him proof that he indeed was a force of good.

"Did you happen to flirt with the she-demon by any chance?" Prue asked Dan suspiciously. Wyatt and Chris rolled their eyes. Dan was about to say something when blue and white orbs appeared in the attic. Everyone was distracted and Dan was safe from Prue's interrogation, at least for now.

* * *

><p>"The 'Scion of Balance' is involved. The elders know of your return. Soon the witches will too. We have lost the element of surprise," the seer said to her master. She waived her hand over the divination pool and the images in the murky water disappeared.<p>

"The two leaders of the elders do not trust the charmed ones or their progeny. I'm not worried about them. What has the 'Scion of Balance' decided?" The source asked.

"He hasn't made up his mind yet. At least that's what he has told the elders. It's always possible that he is lying to them. If so he may make our job a lot easier," the seer responded.

"Either way we cannot rely on him. We have to eliminate 'the Catalyst' as soon as possible," the source said.

"The bounty hunters have failed. We need to attack now. And I think I know just where to strike," Seer said as touching the divination pool. An evil smirk appeared on the source's face as the images in the water became clear.

* * *

><p>The orbs materialized into Kevin. He had a kind and friendly smile on his face. The Halliwells were surprised to see him.<p>

"Kevin, what are you doing here?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm here to help you, to give you some information that may prove critical to your survival. As you may have gathered from your earlier meeting with Odin and Kheel that they don't want you guys to know what I'm about to tell you," Kevin said.

"So. You're here to help us? Just like that?" Piper still wasn't sure if there was a catch.

"Look guys, I'm on your side. Me, Roland and Sandra wanted to tell you all along about this. We believe you deserve to know. That's why I'm here. Besides I owe you guys for all your help in the ugly business with Arnon and the Aggressor. But right now, Odin is planning something big and you are going to need all the help you get," Kevin said matter-of-factly.

"OK. So, how can you help us?" Chris asked.

"I'm here to answer any questions you may have. Although I don't think I have more than an hour," Kevin responded.

"What's 'the Catalyst'?" Wyatt got straight to the point.

"Catalyst is a unique magical being, in this case Chris who has the ability to augment the powers of another magical being making them unimaginably powerful. Similarly a catalyst also has the ability to tear down defenses and attenuate someone's power making them weak and vulnerable. Odin and his followers believe that Wyatt being the twice blessed and Chris being the catalyst, they will become unstoppable. That's what scares them," Kevin informed his audience.

"Were you aware that the source is back?" Piper asked him knowing very well that the elder definitely knew.

"Yes. I found out only recently however I believe Odin had known for a while," Kevin answered truthfully.

"And you didn't think it was important to warn us?" Wyatt asked. He was upset that his friend almost died trying to find out something the elders could have just told them.

"There are more pressing matters at hand," Kevin said.

"More pressing than return of the source?" Leo couldn't believe him.

"Yes. Like the summoning of the 'Scion of Balance'," Kevin responded looking the ex-elder in the eye. Leo was now really worried but he tried his best to hide it.

"Who the hell is 'Scion of balance'," Piper was running out of patience.

"He is the leader of the angels of destinies. A being powerful beyond our wildest imagination", Kevin responded. Piper, Wyatt and Chris looked at Leo who nodded affirmative confirming Kevin's account.

"I get the 'powerful beyond imagination' part but what does he want with us?" Wyatt said in a slightly mocking tone.

"We're not sure, yet. He obviously wanted me to tell you all I know but I can't be sure he's on our side. He is not purely good or evil. He is morally neutral. Kind of like the angel of death. His job is to maintain the balance between good and evil," Kevin responded.

"How can you be sure, I'm the Catalyst?" Chris asked. He still found it difficult to accept that he was part of some great power.

"I can't tell you how we found out. All I can tell you is that the key to the Catalyst's power is extremely strong willpower they possess," Kevin told Chris but it was clear he was hiding something.

"I thought you were going to answer all our questions, honestly," Piper said with a frown firmly in place. Kevin closed his eyes for a moment

"Let's just say a white-lighter told me and leave it at that," Kevin said clearly not wanting to go any deeper. Piper scoffed.

"Which white-lighter? And how did he know?" Leo asked as Piper glared at Kevin with narrowed eyes. She was starting to think that even Kevin was trying to manipulate them. The elder boy rolled his eyes, which annoyed her further.

"Your white-lighter from twenty-two years ago", Kevin said knowing it would get Piper and Leo to stop her inquiries in that direction. Piper looked as if she had been hit in the face. Wyatt and Chris thought that they saw tears build up in their father's eyes.

The children had been told that after Leo had become an elder after the Titan incident, the charmed ones had new white-lighter named Perry. He was around till the time Chris was born. Chris and Wyatt assumed that Chris was given his middle name in Perry's honor. Obviously he was close to the sisters but the boys never knew why Perry left. They simply assume that he had been assigned to some other charge. It was a bit weird that after being a namesake of one of the charmed one's sons the guy would simply disappear and never visit. But then again may be the elder forbid him. They can be unreasonable at times, the boys assumed.

"Guys, could you go downstairs and send your aunt Phoebe and aunt Paige upstairs? And after that could you make sure the house is secured and set up the demon alarms? We don't want any more surprises," Piper asked her children, niece and nephew. Wyatt and Chris couldn't help but feel that their mom was trying to get rid of them. Wyatt was the one vocal about it.

"But mom, this concerns us too. Don't you think we should be here for this conversation?" Wyatt was reluctant to leave. Dan, Prue and Henry Jr. didn't want to leave but they didn't want their aunt Piper mad at them either. Chris thought he saw tears welling in Piper's eyes and grabbed Wyatt by his shoulder and led him out. He was sure their mom was hiding something but this was not the time to argue about it. Kevin had told them that he didn't have more than an hour and they needed to get all the information he could offer. They could confront their mother later. Although reluctant to leave, Wyatt let Chris drag him out of the attic, muttering something about Chris being a momma's boy.

"OK. What does it have to do with the other Chris? You guys don't even let us summon him. It's been twenty-two years for goodness' sake. Is he all right?" Piper was ranting as Paige and Phoebe entered the attic.

"Piper, calm down," Leo said putting an arm around his wife

"Piper, the reason you couldn't summon the other Chris is because he isn't up there. His soul was merged with that of your Chris. He's been here with you all along," Kevin explained. An indistinct smile appeared on Piper's face as she realized that she never true lost her son from the future. Although she still didn't understand how he could have told Kevin about her Chris being 'the Catalyst'.

"Then what did you mean by 'he told me'?" Piper asked.

"He told me with his actions. Changing the course of history is a formidable task. Only the people with the strongest will can do it. That is also the reason catalysts are more likely to succeed in altering the resilient flow of history when they travel through time. Your son, being 'the Catalyst', has the strongest will of all living beings. Chris has already proved it by saving his big brother from turning evil. His status as 'the Catalyst' became evident after he changed the course of history for his brother," Kevin elaborated.

"Don't you think it's in the interest of the 'grater good' that you guys tell us about these things?" Phoebe asked Kevin. She found it unbelievably foolish of the elders to keep this information from them.

"I agree with you completely. So do Sandra and Roland. But you must understand that if Chris manages to harness all the powers and abilities of a catalyst, him and Wyatt together will become virtually unstoppable. The fact that Wyatt was evil in an alternate timeline scares most of the elders," Kevin explained.

"That's ridiculous. Chris saved Wyatt. He was never evil. That future never happened. How can you guys hold that against him?" Piper was clearly pissed at the powers that be.

"We don't want to eliminate Wyatt, we need him on our side. That's why me, Sandra and Roland are going to do everything in our power to help you," Kevin assured.

"But you don't know for sure that Chris is 'the Catalyst'. I mean it's still a theory, the one that's not been proven," Paige observed.

"How do we know for sure if I really am 'the Catalyst'?" Chris asked as he reentered the attic after securing the house, Wyatt and Henry Jr. following close behind. Dan and Derek had left for their home since Dan was still weak from all the blood loss he had suffered and needed his rest. Prue of course, had offered to look after him.

"Let's see. There is a simple enough test for that," Kevin said as he orbed a small graphite crucible with a few gold coins in it. Chris, Wyatt and Henry Jr. were curiously watching the elder boy. Kevin placed the crucible in the middle of the attic floor.

"Now. Use your powers and try to melt the coins in the crucible," Kevin instructed Wyatt. Wyatt was a bit unsure of what was going on but after an approving nod from his parents, he rolled up his sleeves and began. Wyatt unleashed energy balls, plasma balls and the whole arsenal of his offensive powers concentrating on the coins in the crucible. After attempting for about five minute, the coins and the crucible heated up considerably but didn't melt.

"It won't work," Wyatt said sounding defeated as he wiped the sweat off of his brow with his sleeve. Wyatt had never been unsuccessful at doing anything using his firepower.

"Right. That was expected. Wyatt, you are very powerful but even your considerable power is not enough to melt those coins. This exercise was necessary to establish the limits of your power," Kevin told Wyatt as he gestured Chris to come forward.

"Chris, I understand that you can communicate with your brother through your shared link. And you two are quite good at it, yes?" Kevin asked. Chris and Wyatt simply nodded affirmative. A satisfied expression appeared on Kevin's face.

"Now keep your mental link open and concentrate. Imagine your brother succeeding at this task. Add your will to that of your brother's" Kevin instructed. Chris thought this was absurd but he closed his eyes nonetheless. Chris concentrated and Wyatt prepared to try again.

"Your powers are tied to your emotions but their effectiveness is determined by your willpower. Wyatt's will is not strong enough to perform his task. You need to help your brother. You have the strongest will of all. Trust yourself," Kevin continued talking Chris through it as Wyatt tried once again. After about two minutes Wyatt grunted in frustration. This wasn't working.

"May be I'm not 'the Catalyst' after all," Chris said shrugging his shoulders. Wyatt thought for a moment that Chris actually sounded relieved. Chris was great at hiding his emotions though and Wyatt couldn't be sure.

"How many of you have used any of your powers without a glitch the first time you tried? Raise your hands," Kevin said sounding like a schoolteacher. Chris rolled his eyes muttering 'smart ass' under his breath.

"Point taken," Piper said as she gestured towards her sons and asked them to keep trying.

"Stand close to Wyatt and try touching him. Physical proximity helps sometimes," Kevin instructed. Chris touched his brother's left shoulder with his right hand and Wyatt tried again. After a few failed attempts, the coins actually melted to form a glowing viscous liquid. Wyatt and Chris were extremely happy with themselves and they expressed it by hugging each other and jumping up and down like little kids. Henry Jr. promptly grabbed his phone and took a picture of his older cousin's childish behavior. Chris and Wyatt both stopped abruptly and turned to their little cousin. Wyatt got Henry Jr. in a headlock while Chris grabbed his phone and erased the picture.

"Alright, we believe you. Chris is 'the Catalyst'. That still doesn't tell us why is the source after him. How can he be so sure? He wasn't even around when… Chris was born," Piper said. She was about to mention the other Chris but quickly recovered.

"He doesn't have to be sure to perceive Chris as a threat. He will not take that chance. He would come after Chris if he even suspected," Leo observed.

"You two will form a new 'Power of Two' which will surpass even the 'Power of three'. I understand that the two of you are a great team already. But Chris's status as 'the Catalyst' changes the dynamic of your team. You will need to rework your coordination as the 'Power of Two' if you are to survive and succeed," Kevin advised the brothers.

"Thanks for all your help, Kevin," Leo said shaking the elder's hand. A genuine smile appeared on Kevin's face. He suddenly viewed upwards with a slight concern on his face.

"The other elders are calling me. I think it has something to do with the 'Scion of Balance'. I need to go now. I'll be in touch if I have any more information. Blessed be", Kevin said as he orbed off.

* * *

><p>"Alright! I'm out of here," Carver said as he put the finishing touches on the dish he was preparing for a long time patron. He had finished his shift about half an hour ago but the customer had specifically requested that Carver prepare her food. Carver decided to honor the request and as a result he was about half an hour late. After the server carried the food out, Carver went to the locker room to change. While cooking food it was inevitable to get some ingredients on his clothes. Being meticulous about the cleanliness of his car, he preferred to change into fresh street clothes before he left. He dialed Wyatt's number on his cellphone as he was leaving to see if his boyfriend was going to be home.<p>

"Hey there handsome! I missed you," Carver greeted assuming it was Wyatt who answered his cell phone.

"I'm flattered. But I don't think Wyatt would appreciate his boyfriend hitting on his little cousin," Henry Jr. said with a smirk on his face. Carver's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Henry, why are you answering Wy's phone? Where is he?" Carver asked.

"Aw! You sound disappointed. And here I thought you loved me," Henry Jr. said pouting his lips. Carver rolled his eyes.

"Of course I do! Unfortunately we are star-crossed lovers. I'm destined to be with your cousin while you…" Carver abruptly stopped their banter. Henry waited for a few seconds but Carver didn't say anything.

"Carv, are you there? Is everything alright?" henry asked worried. After another few seconds Carver spoke again.

"Yah, I guess so. For a moment there I thought someone was following me. I guess I'm just being paranoid. Anyway I called to ask Wy if he was going to be home. I guess the answer is no," Carver said.

"That would be correct. An elder dropped by earlier. Long story short, Wy and Chris are supposed to become 'the Power of Two' and they are at magic school practicing their skills. Wy forgot his cell at the manor. Do you want me to give him a message?" Henry Jr. offered.

"Nah, I'll just go home and take a nap. Just tell him to call me whenever he's back," Carver said.

"Will do", Henry Jr. said.

"Alright. Thanks man", Carver said.

"No problem. And take care. Considering all the demonic threats to this family, I would say you _have_ to be a bit paranoid. If you still feel that you are being followed and can't reach Wy, call the manor. One of us will come and get you," Henry Jr. cautioned Carver.

"Will do. Thanks. Bye", Carver said.

"Bye", Henry Jr. hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>"I don't see the point in issuing a gag order any more. I believe that the Halliwells already know," Arrazigal informed Odin. He had a smirk on his face. He found Odin's anger mildly entertaining.<p>

"This is outrageous. How did they find out? There is a traitor amongst us," Odin fumed.

"How they found out is rather irrelevant at this point. And even if any of the other elders have informed the witches, you can hardly call them traitors. They haven't sworn allegiance to you. May be they are thinking that they are serving the greater good in their own way. Do not forget. You serve the greater Good. The side of good doesn't serve you!" Arrazigal admonished Odin in a slightly harsher tone.

"Of course, sire. Forgive my careless words," Odin apologized realizing it was a moot point since the 'Scion of Balance' appeared to have already made up his mind. He knew who was behind this leak of information but couldn't do anything without hard evidence. He was more worried about Arrazigal. If the 'Scion of Balance' had decided to side with the witches, he was in big trouble.

* * *

><p>"Halliwell's", Paige answered the phone.<p>

"Hey, Paige? This is Carver. Is Wyatt there? I need to talk to him" Wyatt's boyfriend sounded worried. He seemed to be out of breath and possibly very scared.

"Carver! Wyatt is at magic school. Why do you sound so disturbed? Is everything alright?" Paige inquired. There was no response for a few seconds.

"I'm not sure. That's why I called. I'm not sure what to do. I talked to Junior earlier and he told me to call the manor if I can't reach Wy," Carver finally said.

"OK. Calm down. Tell me what happened. May be I can help," Paige said in a reassuring manner.

"I was returning from the restaurant. I felt that someone was following me. At first I thought I was just being paranoid," Carver said.

"Go on," Paige encouraged him as he stopped to catch his breath.

"But I just saw my stalker across the street from our apartment. He is a creepy guy wearing a leather muscle shirt. I think he is some lower level demon," Carver continued. 'Damn it' Paige mentally cursed. But she didn't want to panic Carver any further. Carver only had power of telepathy, not very effective against a demon carrying energy balls. She had to get to him quickly.

"Alright Carv. You stay put. I'll be there in just a…" Paige heard a muffled scream let out by Carver before she could finish her sentence.

"Carv! Carv! Are you all right? Answer me," Paige was screaming in the mouthpiece but there was no response.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the second chapter.<strong>

**And yes the parchment under the floorboard is the same one that the sisters put there after Bianca took Chris back to the future. Its significance will be clearer in upcoming chapters.**

**Kindly read and review.**

1


	4. Heartache

**Author's Notes:** This chapter has a bit more action than the last two. I hope you all like it.

Also, I'm contemplating giving Chris his own legendary weapon. I think since Wyatt has Excalibur, it's only fair that Chris has a powerful weapon too. I have a few options. I can either give him something based on the 'Soul Reaver' from the 'Legacy of Kain' series, the 'silver sword of the Gith', 'the Equalizer' or the 'Holy Avenger' from D&D based 'Baldur's gate II' and 'Neverwinter Nights II'. The sword will have its own history and attributes but the inspiration will be one or more of the aforementioned weapons. Let me know what you think through reviews.

ShiverMeFunzies: I'm glad you liked it so far. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

doremishine itsuko: What can I say? I don't mind cliffhangers when I know and control what happens next.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Heartache<strong>

"Junior! Go to the magic school and get Wyatt and Chris. I think a demon attacked Carver and I need to go there," Paige instructed her son before she orbed to Wyatt and Carver's apartment. Henry Jr. quickly realized the gravity of the situation and orbed himself to magic school without another word. Paige reached Wyatt and Carver's apartment without a moment's delay. Just as Paige arrived at the apartment she saw a demon had overpowered Carver. The demon saw Paige and realized that he had to hurry. He shimmered out taking Carver with him. The apartment didn't show signs of any struggle. The demon must have surprised the poor guy. Wyatt arrived with Chris within moments. Wyatt was always worried for Carver's safety. His worst nightmare had come true.

"Where is he? Where is Carv?" Wyatt asked Paige desperately. Paige nodded negative, tears gathering in her eyes, implying she couldn't help him. Wyatt's eyes widened. Chris put a comforting hand on his back.

"Carv! Honey, can you hear me? Where are you? Just tell me and I'll be there in a moment," Wyatt tried to contact Carver. Being his charge and a telepath, Wyatt was sure Carver should be able to hear him and answer his call. But there was no answer.

"Carver Julian Miller! You will answer my call right now. You will be sleeping on the couch for the rest of your adult life if I don't hear from you immediately," Wyatt kept yelling, threatening, and begging for fifteen minutes continuously but the response he was hoping for didn't come. The reality that his lover was in deep trouble finally sunk in and Wyatt fell on his knees, palm of his right hand pressed against his forehead. Chris put a comforting arm around his shoulders. When they were children, Wyatt had always been a loving big brother who had helped Chris through some pretty rough patches. Now it was Chris's turn to return the favor.

"We're going to find him. You hear me? We are going to rip the world apart until we find Carv. Don't worry," Chris assured his brother.

"What if something happens to him? What if we're not quick enough? I'm afraid I'm going to fail him," Wyatt started ranting. Chris never thought he would hear his mighty twice blessed big brother say he was afraid of something. Henry Jr. orbed in with Piper and Leo at the moment.

"That's not going to happen. And you know why? Because your family is here to help you," Piper said as she heard Wyatt. The blond witch looked up at her and saw a confident and comforting smile on his mother's face.

"But we need you to pull it together. You need to focus on finding Carver right now. He is not only your boyfriend; he's also your charge. If anyone can find him, you can" Chris reminded his brother.

"You're right. We've got work to do. Aunt Paige did you see what happened? Do you think you can ID the demon that took him?" Wyatt asked.

"It was a standard lower level demon. Some one more powerful must have hired him. He was gone before I could do anything. I'm sorry baby," Paige answered.

"I know you did every thing you could, aunt Paige. Do you think the source has him?" Wyatt asked his aunt. Paige nodded sadly. Wyatt was overwhelmed by sadness and worry again.

"Chris, can you grab his keys? We need them to scry for him," Wyatt said as his brother helped him to his feet.

"We should go back to the manor and try to ID the demon. Junior, can you get Prue and your aunt Phoebe there? We may need their help," Leo said. Henry Jr. nodded and orbed away.

"You're right. Let's go", said Wyatt. The broken expression on his face was replaced by determination. The three orbed back to the manor where the rest of their family gathered shortly. The Halliwells quickly got down to business. Dan had followed Prue to the manor despite his father's protests. He made it very clear to his father that he would not sit idle when his friends were in trouble. Prue assured Derek that she would make sure Dan gets his rest. Piper sent Dan straight to Chris's old room to rest. She assured the half demon that she would call him if they needed him.

Leo searched through the book while Paige went 'up there' to find out if the elders knew anything about Carver's kidnapping. Although Wyatt wasn't very optimistic about her audience with the elders, he had to agree that it didn't hurt to try. Chris was trying to reach Evan, Carver's little brother. Just like Chris and Wyatt, Carver and Evan had a considerably strong bond. Carver was a telepath while Evan had gift of empathy. Although the Miller brothers were not nearly as powerful as the Halliwell brothers, they both had mind-based power. Chris theorized that Evan could be a great help locating his brother due to their bond as siblings. Wyatt was using his own link as his lover and as his white-lighter to locate his boyfriend. Phoebe was scrying while Henry Jr. was trying to think of a way to tell Wyatt about his earlier conversation with Carver. It was almost past dinnertime and nobody has had a chance to eat since lunch. So Piper decided to make dinner for all her family while they searched for Carver.

"Wy, there is some thing I need to tell you," Henry Jr. finally gathered the courage to talk to Wyatt. He had been mentally kicking himself for not doing anything earlier when Carver told him that he was being followed. Wyatt looked slightly annoyed as his concentration broke. He knew every second he wasn't sensing for Carver was putting his life in more and more danger.

"What?" Wyatt practically yelled. Henry Jr. winced a little at the outburst. Chris was looking at the two with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just a little on edge here," Wyatt said guiltily.

"You might as well get it all out because you are going to kill me after you hear what I have to say," Henry Jr. said. Wyatt narrowed his eyes. Everyone in the room was looking at the two cousins with curiosity. Henry Jr. cleared his throat and gathered the courage to speak again.

"Earlier today, when you and Chris were at magic school, Carver called on your cell", Henry Jr. managed to say.

"And? What did he say?" Wyatt was getting impatient.

"He… kind of told me that he thought he was being followed. And I kind of told him to call the manor if he was in trouble and couldn't reach you," Henry Jr. said flinching in anticipation of an outburst from Wyatt. For a couple of second nothing happened. Henry Jr. again gathered the courage to look Wyatt in the eye; who was now glaring at him.

"You mean to tell me that you _knew_ Carv was being followed by demons and you didn't think of telling me?" Wyatt asked slowly drawing out every word. His brow was knitted in a frown and his intense gaze was fixed on Junior. Junior nodded affirmative.

"##$%#$%!" The foul words that came out of Wyatt's mouth were enough to make even Leo and Chris redden with embarrassment. Piper came out of the kitchen with a spatula in her hand. Her jaw dropped to ground when she saw that the sewage coming out of her eldest son's mouth was directed towards Junior. Henry Jr. was one of the most responsible kids in the family second only to Chris. She couldn't believe he could have done anything to warrant such an outburst.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell! Watch your tongue. This kind of language will not be tolerated in this house," She admonished her son. Wyatt stopped cursing but was still glaring at his cousin.

"Now. Tell me what happened," Piper inquired.

"Ask your beloved nephew!" Wyatt fumed.

"Carver called before he was kidnapped and told Junior that he thought he was being followed. Junior did the _right thing_ by telling him to call the manor if he couldn't reach Wy. But then he kind of messed up and forgot to tell me or Wy about it," Chris informed his mother when Henry Jr. couldn't utter a word.

"Do you even have a brain in that pretty little head of yours? Or is it filled with cheese? Do you even care about Carv? Or even me for that matter? Do you have any idea what kind of hell he's going through right now? All of this is happening because of you," Wyatt accused his little cousin. It was rather uncharacteristic of Wyatt to talk to his cousins so harshly but right now he wasn't thinking clearly.

Henry Jr. had tears building up in his eyes as he heard Wyatt's accusations. It was only because of his Halliwell pride and stubbornness that he managed not to let them fall.

"Wyatt! Calm down," Chris said in an commanding tone, "Don't blame it all on him. It's partly _our_ fault. Carver must have called for you before he called the manor. If you hadn't left your phone at the manor or if we hadn't put all communication on mute, none of this would have happened. Right now is not the time to play the blame game. Carver needs us right now. And you need to focus," Wyatt seemed to come to his senses as he heard Chris. He was still pissed at Junior but right now his boyfriend needed him.

"Don't worry honey, we will find Carver very soon", Piper assured her son. She didn't think Wyatt's outburst towards Henry Jr. was justified but this wasn't the time to point that out.

* * *

><p>"Who the hell are you? What do you want with me?" Carver had asked these questions for the umpteenth time. The demon that was in charge of keeping and eye on him had been completely ignoring him. The demon had shimmered them out of the apartment, into the underworld. Before Carver could attempt to contact Wyatt however, he was knocked unconscious with a blow to the head. When he came around, he found himself half naked and suspended from the ceiling of a cavern. After coming around, Carver had tried to contact Wyatt and Chris through his telepathy but didn't get any response. This either meant that they couldn't hear him or they were not in a condition to respond. He hoped it was the former reason and not the later. The demon that kidnapped him was a lower level demon, someone who wouldn't dare come after the lover of the mighty twice-blessed on his own. Someone more powerful must have put him up to it. If Wyatt and Chris couldn't hear him, it meant the kidnapper's employer had cloaked the cavern they were in. It also meant the Halliwells couldn't scry for him either. He trusted the Halliwells to find the way to save him. They always did. He didn't fully grasp the gravity of his situation however, as he didn't know about the source's return.<p>

"You do realize that the Halliwells are going to vanquish you, don't you?" Carver asked the demon trying to intimidate him. It wasn't likely to work however as he was a lonely witch, helplessly tied up in a cavern surrounded by demons. Being suspended by his hands was very painful on his wrists and shoulder joints and he was worried that too much struggle might dislocate his shoulders. He knew very well that the only reason he was still even alive was that his kidnapper probably wanted to use him as a bait to get to Wyatt.

"They will find me soon enough," Carver said as if trying to convince himself.

"I'm counting on it," a voice came from behind him. The approaching footsteps and increasing intensity of the voice told Carver that the creature, most likely his captor, was approaching him from behind. Suddenly an ice cold hand touched Carver on his back and an unimaginable pain shot through his spine. Carver clenched his teeth in order to keep himself from screaming. The demon slowly walked around and came face to face to his prisoner. His skin was deathly pale and his hair was as white as snow. His eyes were pitch black and the cornea indistinguishable.

"I want them to find you right after I've got all the information I need from you. You see; this cavern is cloaked from the witches. They cannot find you if I don't want them to. So, sooner you tell me what I want to know, sooner I lift the cloak. And sooner your beloved witch finds you," the demon said as he touched Carver's stomach. Again the same pain radiated from his stomach and spread across his body. Carver realized he was in deep trouble.

* * *

><p>"Evan?" Chris asked as soon as someone answered the cell phone. Chris had been trying to get in touch with Carver's brother for quite some time.<p>

"Ye… Yes. Wh… Who's this?" Evan asked. Chris could tell from the way his voice was breaking that he was in great deal of pain. Which probably meant Carver was too.

"This is Chris, Wyatt's brother. Listen there is no easier way to say this but Carver has been kidnapped by demons," Chris broke the news to Carver's brother. There was no response for a second.

"They're hurting him. That's why I've been in pain. They are torturing him," the worry was evident in Evan's voice.

"Listen, we need your help to locate him. Are you at your home? I can orb you to the manor and we can look for him," Chris said.

"Give me a minute to get dressed," Evan said after he gave Chris the address. Chris's face was contorted with worry as he disconnected the phone. Within a couple of minutes, Chris was back at the manor with Evan who was in considerable amount of pain and Chris had to support him with one hand. Wyatt and Leo rushed to help the newcomer.

"They're hurting him aren't they?" Wyatt asked worried.

"That's it. I'm going down there. I'll find Carver and bring him back", Chris said to his brother.

"You will do no such thing. I may already have lost the love of my life. I cannot endanger my little brother too. Now that Evan is here, I'm sure we can get a location on him. Then I'll be the one to go down there," Wyatt said with a touch of finality. As the whole family concentrated on helping Evan locate his brother, nobody realized when Henry Jr. quietly left the room and orbed out.

"You are lousy at adapting to changing situation. You will never last in an undercover mission. Right now we need information. I'm the only one who can get it without getting in trouble," Chris protested but failed to convince Wyatt.

"No. The source is already after you. I'm not sending you down there alone. Dan is not in a condition to go either…" Wyatt said but Dan, who appeared on the stairs, cut him midsentence.

"You underestimate me, Wyatt. I'm perfectly capable of kicking some demon ass," Dan said as he walked down the stairs. Any argument Wyatt was about to make was cut short by Evan, who felt a sharp pain shooting through his chest. Wyatt knew they had to find him; fast.

Evan could feel Carver's pain but he was not able to locate him. That was a white-lighter ability and the Miller brother didn't have white-lighter blood in them. So they had decided to try something new. Evan concentrated on his brother while Chris attempted to tap into their sibling connection and get the location on Carver. As far as they knew, it had never been done before and there was no guarantee that it would work. But this was the best option they had.

"Where is my son? I can't sense him," Paige inquired in a worried tone as she orbed back to the manor. Everyone was so focused on Evan and Chris that they didn't realize that Henry Jr. was missing for about fifteen minutes.

"He was right here a few minutes ago. What do you mean you can't sense him?" Leo asked, worried.

"Well, The elders didn't know anything about Carver. I decided to come back here. I needed Junior to check on his father and the twins. So I called him but he didn't respond. I tried to sense him and came up blank," Paige explained. Wyatt suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He remembered all the nasty things he had said to his little cousin. He wasn't intentionally trying to make him feel guilty about what happened to Carver but he ended up doing just that. He tried to sense Junior but just like Paige, Wyatt couldn't sense him. This could mean only one thing, Henry Jr. was in the underworld, looking for Carver and trying to redeem himself.

* * *

><p>Henry Jr. found himself in a bar in the underworld. He was dressed like a dark-lighter in long black coat. He had grabbed the dark-lighter crossbow from the chest in the attic. It was left behind by some vanquished dark-lighter a long time ago. Obviously, he couldn't orb it to himself like a normal dark-lighter since he couldn't fake black orbs. Instead, he used the leather strap to hang it over his shoulder. Unlike Chris and Dan, he had never been on an undercover mission. He had no idea how to act like a dark-lighter. He was trying to imitate the behavior of other dark-lighters in the bar.<p>

"And who might you be?" asked a dark-lighter sitting besides Henry Jr. looking at him suspiciously. Henry Jr. could feel his heart skip a beat. He was not a coward by a long shot. But down here he was outnumbered hundred to one. If they found out who he was, nobody would ever find his body. Suddenly coming down here sounded like a stupid idea. He didn't have a choice anymore. He was now irrevocably committed to his undercover mission. He gathered all the courage he could muster and answered in a threat.

"Your death if you don't leave me alone," Junior barked hoping his voice didn't quiver as he spoke. The dark-lighter looked at him for a moment and smiled.

"Alright, alright. Keep your shirt on. I was just curious. I haven't seen you around here before. And I know everyone who walks through that door," the dark-lighter said. Henry Jr. looked at him curiously. The dark-lighter seemed so full of himself that Henry Jr. decided to try and take advantage of it.

"Is that so? Then may be it's a good thing I didn't vanquish you. You may be of some use yet," Junior said in a cold voice. The dark-lighter found it a bit amusing to see such arrogance in someone who looked so young.

"I like your attitude. Tell me who you are and what you are doing here and I'll give you what information you want," the dark-lighter offered. Henry Jr. thought for a moment before responding. He didn't want to appear too eager.

"My name is of no concern to you. All you need to know is that I was hired to capture a witch, he is the lover of the twice-blessed child of the charmed one," Henry Jr. informed him. A smug smile appeared on the dark-lighter's face.

"You are too late my friend. Savat hired you, no doubt. But your competition beat you to it. Savat already has the witch in his lair. He is torturing the witch for some information about the Halliwells as we speak," the dark-lighter informed. The blond witch-lighter got the name of Carver's captor too easily and he decided to push his luck a bit further.

"Where can I find Savat? May be he has something else for me," Henry Jr. inquired.

"You don't know where to find him? How did you get the job before?" The dark-lighter asked suspiciously.

"He found me," Henry Jr. tried to sound subtle.

"Right…" The dark-lighter said now even more suspicious. Henry Jr. sensed this and decided to get the hell out of there.

"Anyway, nice talking to you. I've got to go now," He said paying the barkeep.

"What's the rush? Sit, have another drink. It's on me," the dark-lighter offered. Henry Jr. knew he had to get out of there immediately.

"Thanks but no thanks. I have to be somewhere," Junior said as he rushed out of the bar. Unfortunately for him, the dark-lighter he was talking to, had already signaled his fellow dark-lighters and demons in the bar. As soon as Henry Jr. stepped out of the bar, he found himself being confronted by a group of about five demons and three dark-lighters. He knew he was in deep shit.

"He's not a dark-lighter. He's a white-lighter. No… Wait he is also a witch. He's one of the Halliwell boys. It's our lucky day fellas," a demon said to his companions.

"Oh o," Henry Jr. said to himself as he saw the three dark-lighters conjuring their crossbows and aiming their arrows at his chest. Their demon comrades conjured fireballs and energy balls ready to throw them at him. But before the fight even began, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Before he could react, his whole world went black.

* * *

><p>"This is all my fault. I'm a horrible cousin. I was supposed to protect him and instead I made him endanger his life," Wyatt kept saying feeling guilty for being so harsh and unforgiving towards his little cousin.<p>

"We don't have time for your self pity right now. We need to find Carver and Junior," Paige said a bit harshly. She wasn't too happy with her eldest nephew right now but there will be time for that later. Right now the only thing she cared about was to find her son. She grabbled another crystal and started scrying for Henry Jr.

"So I guess this is time to divide and conquer. Some of us can look for Junior and rest of us can look for Carver," Phoebe said to the rest of the family.

"But we don't have a location on either of them," Leo observed.

"Doesn't matter. I cannot sit on my hands anymore. I'm going down there. Chris, you need to stay here with Evan. You and aunt Paige, if you get a location on either of them, you call me. I'm going to get some information my own way," Wyatt declared.

"Wait, Wy. If Henry Jr. went to the underworld looking for information, I would have better luck tracking him. You look for Carver and I'll look for Junior," Dan told his friend. Wyatt didn't want his friend to go back there in his weakened state but Dan was beyond reasoning. Chris wanted to join his brother but Wyatt pointed out that there was no one else around with the skill to search for Carver through Evan. Reluctantly, Chris agreed to it.

* * *

><p>Just like Carver, Henry Jr. found himself half naked, suspended from a cavern ceiling. As soon as he came around, he began to struggle with his bonds. He could hear someone speaking in an emotionless voice. It sounded much like an interrogation. He couldn't hear what the question was but he surely heard the answer. He knew it was Carver.<p>

"Go to hell," Carver barked but his answer was followed by a muffled scream. Carver was being tortured for information about Wyatt. They probably wanted to know about Wyatt's weaknesses. But Junior already knew that. Soon enough he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Ah! The witch-lighter is finally awake. I couldn't believe my luck when they told me that they had captured one of the Halliwells. I was doubly pleased to see it was the son of the youngest charmed one. Do you know who I am? And do you know why you're still alive?" The demon asked in a silky voice. Henry Jr. didn't bother to respond.

"I am Savat. Some eighteen years ago your mother single handedly vanquished me," the demon said but Henry Jr. cut him off midsentence.

"She'll do it again. Unless of course my cousins get their hands on you first," Junior hissed.

"Oh I'm sure they will try. The only reason you're still alive is because I want to kill you myself. You're going to die a slow and agonizingly painful death. And I want to hear you beg for it," Savat said with a wicked smile.

"Do your worst," Junior scoffed. In his current situation, antagonizing his captor was certainly not a good idea but Junior wasn't thinking straight. Rather he wasn't thinking at all. The demon responded by touching the back of Junior's head, which caused such an incredible amount of pain that Henry Jr. thought his head was going to explode.

"It is time," a deep voice came from a dark corner of the cavern. Savat stopped abruptly and turned around. Although he had never heard that voice before, Henry Jr. knew exactly whom it belonged to.

* * *

><p>"I have an approximate location. I don't think I'm going to be able to get it any more accurate. Wyatt and I are going to have to search through a few caverns. We simply don't have more time," Chris said impatiently.<p>

"Wyatt and I? There is no Wyatt and I. You are not going anywhere. The source is targeting you. For all we know this could all be plan to get to you. You will stay here and help us find Junior. There is not going to be any argument about it," Piper put her foot down. Chris told Wyatt about the location over their shared link. He could understand his mother's point of view but he didn't have to be happy about it.

"Got him," Paige said as the crystal dropped on the map. Chris saw the location. It was the same place Carver was held captive. This was not a coincidence. It was a trap.

* * *

><p>Henry Jr. found himself alone in the cavern. After a brief talk with the source, Savat had left Junior and Carver alone. The two captives were tied with their backs towards one another. Although they couldn't see each other, Junior knew Carver was in severe pain.<p>

"Carv, can you hear me? Are you alright?" Henry Jr. asked.

"Junior? What the hell are you doing here? You were the other prisoner they brought in? Please tell me Wyatt and Chris have some plan to get us out of here," Carver couldn't believe for a second that Wyatt would let Junior come to the underworld alone. Junior didn't respond for a second.

"I don't think Wyatt and Chris know I'm here. I kind of came down here without telling them," Junior answered sheepishly.

"You did what? What the hell were you thinking?" Carver couldn't believe Junior could be so stupid.

"If I had told Wyatt about our conversation, we wouldn't have been in this mess. I felt guilty. Then Evan arrived and he was in pain. That meant you were too. I couldn't just sit there and do nothing," Junior answered.

"It's not your fault. I don't blame you and I'm sure Wyatt doesn't either," Carver assured Henry Jr.

"But it is and he does. If I had orbed straight to magic school and told Wy, he would have been there at the apartment when the demons attacked," Henry Jr. said still guilt ridden. Their conversation was abruptly ended when they heard footsteps.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, the Halliwells were worried about Wyatt, Carver and Junior. Chris was pacing up and down the length of the attic. The sisters kept themselves busy preparing vanquishing potions to keep their mind off of the dire situation they were in. Leo was looking through the book searching for any more useful information.<p>

"It's a trap. I know it's a trap", Chris said, "I should not have let him go there alone. After searching for them for hours unsuccessfully, we found both of them at the same time. It's a trap. I should have gone with him. I can't believe I let him go alone."

"Chris, honey, I love you baby but your ranting is getting really annoy..." Phoebe said while filling a potion Vial. Chris simply glared at his aunt, which made her reconsider her statement.

"I know you are worried about your brother. We all are. But blaming yourself is not going to help", Phoebe said trying to calm her nephew down. Suddenly Piper saw a sparkle in Chris's eyes. She knew it meant he had some crazy Idea in his head.

"I'll be back," Chris said before orbing out of the manor. His mother protested but he was already gone.

"Where the hell did he go? Isn't it bad enough that we're worried about his brother?" Piper asked rhetorically before yelling at Chris, "Christopher Perry Halliwell! Come back here this instant mister. Chris! You get back to the manor young man or I will summon your ass", Piper kept shouting at Chris. He returned about five minutes later.

"Where the hell did you go?" Piper asked slapping Chris on his arm.

"I had to take care of something. I told you I'd be back, did I not?" Chris said rubbing his arm.

"Peanut, Why don't you grab the scrying crystal? Find Dan. If Wyatt knows where Junior and Carver are, there is no need for him to endanger himself any more", Phoebe said to Chris. Piper had calmed down considerably by now, seeing at least one of her boys return safely. Chris reached for the crystal when they heard a crash in the living room.

"That doesn't sound good", Paige said grabbing the filled potion vials. All the witches ran downstairs prepared for a battle. Sure enough there were about fifteen lower level demons, some five or six upper level demons and four dark-lighters. The fight broke almost immediately. While Phoebe, Piper and Leo ran down the stairs, Chris and Paige decided to orb themselves downstairs. Unfortunately they found themselves right in the middle of the demon horde. Almost immediately a dark-lighter shot an arrow towards Chris.

"Arrow!" Paige called waiving her hand towards the dark-lighter. The arrow turned around but the dark-lighter was way too fast for them and he dodged the arrow. That gave Chris the distraction he needed and threw the nearest four or five demons crashing into one of the walls. Piper, Phoebe and Leo were downstairs by now. Piper quickly blew up the two lower level demons that were blocking the staircase.

"Chris! Behind you!" Piper shouted as one of the upper level demons threw fireball at him. Instinctively Chris ducked and rolled over behind a couch. The fireball hit the couch.

"Vase!" Paige called and sent a nice and heavy vase crashing towards the demon. It hit him square in the head but didn't seem to do much damage. But this gave Phoebe the opportunity to kick him in the chest and send him tumbling into the grandfather clock. Leo quickly threw a potion at the fallen upper level demon and vanquished him. Piper blew up another lower level demon and one of the dark lighters. In her eyes the dark-lighters were priority since they could instantly kill her child and her sister with a well-aimed shot.

"Chris, watch out," Leo warned his son but it was too late. An arrow from one of the dark-lighters was speeding towards Chris. Leo pushed Chris out of the way but the arrow embedded itself in Leo's right shoulder. Leo, being a mortal now should be immune to dark-lighter poison. But they hadn't tested that theory yet. Without thinking twice Chris got on to his feet and rushed to his fallen father. Leo pulled out the arrow by himself. Despite having no white-lighter powers, the poison was taking effect.

"I don't think it will kill me. Watch out!" Leo shouted at his son. Chris quickly dodged an energy ball and made his way to his father's side.

"I'm not taking that chance. I need to heal him. Cover me!" Chris told his mom and aunt Phoebe. Chris started healing his dad. Before Piper or Phoebe could reach the two though, an upper level demon made his way to Chris. Leo's right shoulder was injured but left one was unharmed. He quickly threw his atheme with his left hand with deadly accuracy. The atheme hit the demon in the heart and he went up in flames.

"Awesome!" Chris admired his father's skill. Leo just smiled. He could never let anything happen to his son. Piper and Phoebe had arrived besides them by now that unfortunately left Paige alone.

"We need to take care of the dark-lighters first. Is there anything in the book?" Phoebe said as she kicked one of the upper level demons in the head before stabbing him with an atheme.

"I don't think so. At least nothing to take all them out at once", Chris responded as he electrocuted two more demons. Despite having the book for several decades, Chris remembered more spells in the book than any of the charmed ones. Unknown to himself, he was benefiting from knowledge acquired through obsessive study accomplished during two lifetimes. He knew for a fact that there wasn't anything like that in the book. But that didn't mean he couldn't wing it. He was good at improvising powerful spells with nominal backfire. So he started rhyming.

I call upon the ancient power

To help us in our darkest hour

Spirits of darkness, three of a kind

Destroy them now, body and mind

And sure enough it worked as the three remaining dark-lighters burst in flames and reduced to ashes. Piper looked at Chris proudly

"You came up with that just now?" She asked as she blew up another demon. Chris just shrugged and electrocuted another demon. They had destroyed all the lower level demons that initially attacked the manor. But for every demon they vanquished, another one shimmered in. They were quickly being overwhelmed and the end of their battle was nowhere in sight.

* * *

><p>Dan was back at the bar in the underworld. He had no idea that Chris and Paige had already found the two missing witches and that Wyatt was on his way to rescue them. He found himself dressed in a leather vest once again and hated it with passion. But wellbeing of his friends was more important than any embarrassment the cheap attire could bring him. He knew that if Henry Jr. had been sniffing for information, he would start looking here. Although he had no idea what kind of disguise the blond witch had used, he was sure he could get all the relevant information from the barkeep for the right price. He knew that the barkeep didn't care much for currency of mortals. The barkeep dabbled in alchemy and the only thing that would get the job done was some exotic potion ingredient. Dan had shimmered to a remote part of the Himalayas to collect the rare blossom of snow lotus. As a backup plan he also decided to collect some wool of a Yeti. He didn't want to kill the rare creature so he used his manticore shriek to stun the unsuspecting creature and then collect some wool from its back. The Yeti wasn't going to be happy when it comes around but Dan really didn't have any other option. He knew he was spending time he didn't have. But this was the only guaranteed way to find Junior.<p>

"Heard anything interesting recently?" Dan asked the barkeep leaning over the counter. The barkeep looked at Dan curiously and made some foul smelling drink for a slimy demon sitting across from the bar.

"It depends on what you have to offer," the barkeep responded. Dan was about to get the show lotus blossom out but paused for a moment. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. In a demonic bar, that's never a good thing.

"Give me a minute," Dan said to the barkeep as he moved away from the counter.

"Take your time," the barkeep said. Dan discretely left the bar and walked down a few tunnels. Now he was certain that he was being followed. His acute manticore senses were on high alert. He was able to guess his stalker's location without much difficulty. The stalker was hiding behind a boulder a few feet away. Dan quickly conjured an atheme and shimmered behind the said boulder. Dan was standing behind a female demon clad in black dress. She was wearing a creepy mask and most of her face was hidden. She had seen him shimmer and was obviously trying to track his location. She was startled when she realized that Dan was right behind her. It was too late however and she felt being immobilized and the blade being pressed against her throat.

"Why are you following me?" Dan asked in a cold voice.

"It's me!" She said. Dan was intimately familiar with that voice. He took off her mask. It was Prue.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dan asked with a frown firmly in place as he let her go and put the atheme away.

"I couldn't let you go alone after what happened last time. I wanted to make sure that your were safe. You didn't really expect me to sit on my hands, did you?" Prue asked. Dan knew she was a stubborn Halliwell woman and there was no way he was going to be able to convince her to return to the manor. Little did he know, at the moment the manor was a more dangerous place than their current location.

"If it's dangerous for me to be here, it's even more dangerous for you. Power of premonitions, empathy and your cupid power aren't exactly offensive powers," Dan tried to convince her as he pulled her into a hug.

"My mom trained me in hand to hand combat. And I can cast spells. So don't worry about me," she said as she planted a kiss on his lips. She knew this argument wouldn't convince Dan but none of his arguments were going to convince her to leave either.

"But honey, what if something happens to you? You never know what kind of threat we will face. What if you can't remember the exact spell in time? It's too dangerous," Dan was persistent. The expression on Prue's face told him unequivocally that she was not in the mood to listen to reason.

"As long as you are down here, so am I," she said with a touch of finality in her voice. Dan knew there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise.

"Alright. You have to stay close to me all the time. If your identity is revealed, you will teleport away to magic school without a word. Agreed?" He asked.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Prue avoided answering in simple yes or no.

"Because if you don't agree, I'm going to call Chris and let him deal with you," Dan warned her.

"You wouldn't dare," she said.

"Keep pushing me and I'll call Wy," Dan knew Prue would be in huge trouble if Wyatt knew about her little excursion. She knew that she didn't really have a choice but to agree.

"OK. OK. You win. I'll do as you ask. You are going to pay for this later, I assure you of that," Prue responded.

"Good, lets go," Dan said as he led her back to the demonic bar. A smirk appeared on the barkeep's face as he saw Prue with Dan.

"Is that your offer? I'll take it," he said practically drooling at the dark haired witch. Prue was visibly disgusted by the attention she received from the pervert. Dan glared at the demon.

"You will get a one way ticket to purgatory if you don't stop ogling at my girl," Dan threatened conjuring an energy ball. All the demons around turned their attention to Dan and the barkeep expecting to see some action. Prue was now visibly apprehensive due to all the attention her boyfriend was receiving. Dan on the other hand knew very well that being violent and volatile was essential to maintain his cover.

"OK. OK. Keep your shirt on," the barkeep said raising his hands in submission. Dan extinguished the energy ball and the other demons that were hoping for a fight, returned to their previous activities in a bit of disappointment. Dan settled himself on a barstool and Prue sat in his lap, her hands around his neck. Dan slipped his left hand around her waist.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Dan said putting the snow lotus blossom on the table. The barkeep's eyes were fixed on the exotic ingredient. But his greed kept his eagerness from appearing on his face. Prue's empathy however gave him away. She moved even closer to Dan and whispered in his ears that the barkeep had taken the bait. Dan smirked and kissed her passionately. Anyone who saw this interaction would have assumed that Prue had said something infinitely mischievous in Dan's ear.

"That's it? That's not good enough. I could have collected it my self," the barkeep said hoping to swindle something more out of Dan.

"Why don't you do that?" Dan said calling his bluff. He put the snow lotus blossom back in the satchel and turned to Prue.

"You are going to get to do _all those_ things to me after all. Looks like we have more than enough time," Dan said to Prue completely ignoring the barkeep.

"Now wait a minute. We can surely discuss it a bit more," the barkeep said not ready to give up.

"I'm listening," Dan said putting the snow lotus blossom back on the table. The barkeep grabbed the blossom and leaned closer to Dan.

"It's about a legendary weapon. I heard a rumor that some powerful demon has acquired an extremely powerful weapon and intends to use it to destroy the Halliwell witches," the barkeep said. Dan was worried for a moment but he had to make sure that there was a shard of truth in the rumor before he informs Wyatt and Chris.

"Who's the demon you talk of? What kind of weapon does he have? Does it have a name? Where did the demon get it? Without all these details, your information is nothing but idle gossip of a fishwife," Dan told to the barkeep hoping to pry some more information out of him.

"All I know is the demon is called Sikylie. And he is a very powerful demon. As far as I know, there is no one other than the source himself who can vanquish him. But there is some thing else I know that you might find interesting," the barkeep said with a hint of annoyance. He wasn't too happy about being called a fishwife but the business was more important than any personal insults. Dan saw the greed in his eyes. Without another word, he put the wool of the Yeti on the table. The barkeep's eyes widened.

"There was a Halliwell boy sitting right where you are, earlier this day," the barkeep whispered. Dan raised his eyebrows and showed interest. Prue tried her best not to let her worry be evident on her face. The barkeep was definitely talking about Henry Jr. and if the demons knew his identity, he was in deep shit.

"The boy was posing as a dark-lighter. But one of the other dark-lighters figured him out," the barkeep said referring to Junior's interaction with the demons earlier. Dan's heart skipped a beat. Prue looked as if she was going to burst in tears. She couldn't imagine the kind of trouble a lone white-lighter would get after being recognized by a horde of dark-lighters.

"He's dead, I take it?" Dan said in an unemotional voice. Prue was taken aback by the indifference in her boyfriend's voice. But her empathy was telling her how worried and scared Dan was for Junior's safety. The façade was necessary to maintain his cover.

"Unfortunately; no. He was _taken_," the barkeep informed the two. Both Dan and Prue were relieved on the inside with the news. This meant Junior had been abducted and being held a prisoner somewhere but at least he was still alive. If the demons wanted to kill him they would have done it outright and not bother to abduct him.

"Do you know where they took him?" Dan asked making sure he did not sound too eager.

"I heard Savat has him. Why are you so interested in the Halliwell boy?" the barkeep asked.

"My reasons are my own. The less _you_ know about it the better it is for _me_," Dan responded. The barkeep grimaced at him but he wasn't too surprised. After all he had just sold information to Dan and had no reason not to sell Dan out to someone else. Dan paid the barkeep for the drinks and left the place in a hurry. He was almost certain that Savat was behind Junior and Carver's abduction but he wasn't very sure about the motive.

* * *

><p>Wyatt entered a cave that held his boyfriend and little cousin. Carver was in a bad shape but conscious. He could hear them talking but then they abruptly stopped. Wyatt's heart skipped a beat. He soon realized that they had stopped talking because they had heard his footsteps.<p>

"It's my fault," Wyatt said as he approached the two tied up witches. Carver and Henry Jr. were visibly relieved to see Wyatt. They were saved.

"If I hadn't kept all communication on mute they wouldn't have been able to abduct you. I'm so sorry," Wyatt said to Carver with tear filled eyes. Then he turned to Junior.

"I never meant all the horrible things I said to you, Junior. I wasn't thinking. For future reference, no matter how mad I get at you, never ever get into a crazy kamikaze mission like this, you hear me?" Wyatt said to his little cousin.

"Boyfriend saving now, apologies later!" Carver reminded Wyatt. The blond witch smiled a little and with one blast from the palms of his hands, broke the chains binding Carver and Junior. Suddenly they were surrounded by about a dozen demons.

"Take Carv and go to the magic school. Heal him. Don't worry about me," Wyatt told Junior as he threw two of the nearest demons into the cavern wall.

"But…" Junior tried to protest but Wyatt cut him off.

"Go!" Wyatt yelled and Junior orbed Carver to the magic school. Wyatt proceeded to vanquish any demons that stood in his way. One after the other all the demons, that attacked him were vanquished.

"Impressive. Now I know why the whole underworld is scared of you. It's a pity that I have to kill you," Savat said as he entered the cavern. Wyatt was still in the battle ready stance and didn't bother to respond. Savat conjured a fireball and threw it at Wyatt who dodged it easily and threw his own energy ball at the demon. Savat attempted to dodge it but fail. Although the energy ball hit him on the shoulder, it wasn't enough to kill him. Savat threw another fireball and Wyatt used his telekinesis to return it to its sender. Wyatt didn't realize when a dark-lighter crept up behind him. His arrow was aimed towards Wyatt's back.

"Arrow!" Wyatt heard Junior's voice as he used his telekinetic orbing to turn the arrow around just like his mother. The Arrow embedded in the dark-lighter's chest who promptly exploded. Henry Jr. was satisfied when he realized that the dark-lighter he just vanquished was the same one that set the trap for him outside the bar earlier.

"Damn you witch!" Savat cursed as he called in reinforcements. Suddenly the cavern was overrun by demons. There were about ten lower level demons and two upper level demons besides Savat.

"I thought I told you to stay away from here," Wyatt said as he conjured an energy ball and threw it at one of the lower level demons.

"I just saved your twice-blessed ass from a dark-lighter you ungrateful brat. Besides, you told me to go. You never said anything about staying away," Henry Jr. said with a smirk on his face. He kicked a demon in the chest and orbed a pointed rock underneath his skull as he fell. The demon promptly exploded leaving behind a pile of ash. Junior knew the training he received from his aunt Phoebe would come in handy someday. Wyatt rolled his eyes at Junior's response. It reassured Wyatt that Henry Jr. was back to his witty self and that he had already forgiven him for all the nasty thins he had said earlier.

"Well, I'm telling you now. Go back to magic school. What about Carv? Who's with him?" Wyatt asked as he stretched both his hands and vanquished about four demons in single move. Use of this power always exhausted him but he didn't have time to catch his breath. Savat threw a fireball at him and he had to orb out of the way to dodge it.

"It's too late for that. Carv is OK. I healed him and now Evan is with him. He was worried about you so I told him that I'll watch your back," Junior said as he redirected one of Savat's fireballs to the only remaining upper level demon.

"You don't understand. I'm perfectly safe. It's you I'm worried about," Wyatt didn't get a chance to elaborate himself as the remaining lower level demons ganged up on him. Junior gave Wyatt a look that said; 'your arrogance is abysmal and you are a fool if you think you are invincible'. He telekinetically tossed one of the demons away. He didn't realize when Savat got close to him and grabbed his neck from behind. Henry Jr. let out a muffled scream as pain took over his body. His legs gave in and he collapsed to the ground.

"No", Wyatt screamed and vanquished the last two demons that attacked him in a single energy blast from his hands. He ran towards Junior. Savat had conjured a fireball by now and was about to throw is towards Henry Jr. Wyatt telekinetically threw Savat away but the fireball was already on its way. It hit Henry Jr. right in the chest. Wyatt threw out both his hands and concentrated a single high power blast at Savat. This was enough to kill the demon and Wyatt saw him go up in flames in satisfaction. He quickly dropped besides Junior. Henry Jr. had a faint pulse but he wasn't breathing. Wyatt began healing the wound on his cousin's chest immediately. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to his little cousin. Especially when Junior was down there because of him. Fortunately the wound healed within half a minute and Henry Jr. sat up coughing. Wyatt quickly pulled him into a bear hug.

"Touching. Very, very touching", said a wicked voice. Wyatt quickly turned around to see a hooded figure. No matter how powerful he was, Wyatt was not ready to face the source yet and Henry Jr. knew it. They had to trade very carefully. Junior quickly grabbed Wyatt's hand to keep him from doing something rash.

"Don't worry. I'm not fighting him today if I don't have to. Go back to the magic school and help Evan and Carv," Wyatt told Junior as he waved his hand and orbed his cousin back to the safety of magic school himself.

"Don't worry I'm not going to kill you. Yet," the source paused for a moment before continuing, "I see that you have succeeded in saving your lover and your cousin. Clever. Clever indeed. No matter, they will die a painful death after I'm done with you and your brother". The source revealed his face. Wyatt flinched a little expecting the half burned face. After all that's how the book of shadows described him. He was surprised to see a rather normal looking man with a goatee.

"For now they have served their purpose to keep you here while my minions take care of your dear little brother. Twenty-two years ago he was a mere nuisance. Now he has become a real problem," the source said. Wyatt was thoroughly confused. He looked at the source with a frown firmly in place.

"That's ridiculous. Twenty-two years ago, my brother was just an infant. How could he possibly be a nuisance to anyone?" Wyatt asked not believing what he just heard.

"Ah! Mommy and Daddy have been keeping secrets, I see. Why don't you ask them yourself? If they survive the assault on the manor, of course," the source taunted Wyatt.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Wyatt hissed.

"Don't believe me? Your beloved family is under attack. See for yourself," the source waved his hand and the view of the manor was projected on one of the cavern walls. It showed in great detail the battle that was raging at his home.

"My minions have explicit instructions to kill your beloved brother. Chris will not survive this confrontation. Your brother's time is at its end," the source said triumphantly. He expected Wyatt to collapse with grief after witnessing the horrible scene unfolding in the manor. But Wyatt's reaction was rather unexpected. The twice-blessed witch… smiled.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, the fight was still going strong. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of demons, the witches didn't realize when an upper level demon appeared in the manor and sneaked behind Chris. He grabbed Chris from behind and put an atheme to his throat.<p>

"Stop right now or the boy is dead", the demon threatened.

"No!" Piper screamed as she saw her baby captured by the evil creature.

"What's the matter? Did your big brother abandon you? It seems he doesn't love you after all", said the demon taunting Chris. Chris scoffed in response.

"Let go of my son", Piper roared. Paige saw a demon approach Leo. She quickly threw a vanquishing potion at him.

"Now that was a mistake", the demon said as he slit Chris's throat. Piper screamed in horror and pain as Chris collapsed.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the third chapter.<strong>

**Any guesses on who the new source is?**

**Kindly read and review.**


	5. The Power of Two

**Author's Notes: **I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I was a bit disappointed when I didn't receive any reviews suggesting what kind of weapon I should give to Chris. Oh well.

ovoriel : Gideon is indeed the new source. Why and how a dead elder was turned into source will become clear as the story progresses

ShiverMeFunzies : I was planning to end this chapter with a similar cliffhanger but then I remembered that I'm not the source of all that's evil ;)

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Power of Two<strong>

The smile on Wyatt's face widened as the source grew more and more confused. The source had just shown the blond witch what had transpired in the manor. One of the source's minions had just slit his little brother's throat and Wyatt was smiling. No. He wasn't smiling anymore, he was laughing. He was laughing at the source. The source expected to see Wyatt collapse in grief or may be lash out in anger.

"Interesting. Very interesting. I have seen people go insane with grief and anger. But I have to be honest with you; I wasn't expecting this from you. I thought you were stronger than that. I guess; I gave you too much credit. But believe me when I say that I truly am sorry for your loss;" the source said in a pseudo sympathetic tone. Wyatt found this dialog very entertaining. He composed himself before responding.

"You don't really know my clever little brother, do you? Did you honestly imagine that we would walk straight into your trap? Look closely at my brother. What do you see?" Wyatt asked as he prompted the curious source to look at the scene unfolding in the manor. The curious expression on the source's face was replaced momentarily by confusion followed by irritation. He glared at Wyatt. The twice-blessed witch grinned just before he disappeared. Considering the fact that Wyatt didn't orb but rather vanished in thin air, the source knew exactly what had happened. His face reddened with anger and frustration but there was nothing he could do about it, at least at the moment.

* * *

><p>At the manor, all the witches watched in horror as the half elder collapsed. A triumphant smile appeared on the face of Chris's assailant. He knew he didn't have any leverage any more and had to shimmer out of there before the Halliwells came to their senses and vanquished him. Piper was in a catatonic state while tears rolled down Phoebe's face as she was overwhelmed by all the emotions radiating from all of her family members. Leo rushed to his fallen son and attempted to stop the bleeding with his hands. He was a mortal now and could not heal his son. Paige rushed to heal her nephew but before she could reach him, the half elder simply faded away. The sight reopened twenty-two year old wounds for both Leo and Paige as they were the once who witnessed the heartbreaking incident decades ago. Leo had seen his son die in his arms and fade away twice. But this time, Chris belonged to the time-line. He should not have faded away. Paige was to first one to realize that fact but didn't say anything.<p>

"That was too easy. Almost not worth my time", the demon that killed Chris said as he prepared to shimmer. He simply could not help but taunt the witches. Paige looked at him with venom in her eyes. She raised another vanquishing potion and was about to throw it at the demon when they heard a voice coming from the stairs.

"That's true. I did make it look too easy, didn't I?" The voice was familiar, too familiar. It got Piper out of her frozen state almost immediately. Every one in the vicinity, including all the demons turned to face the staircase.

"That's not possible. I killed you!" The demon said as he realized that the voice belonged to none other than Christopher Perry Halliwell. Wyatt was standing right besides him with a smirk on his face. Chris looked at the demon and smiled smugly.

"You tried. But you simply don't have the brain or the brawn to take out one of the Halliwells. Be honored, for you will be the first demon to be vanquished by the power of two!" Chris said as he held his brother's right hand with his left. The two brothers raised their free hands and a wave of enormous energy erupted from their outstretched palms. The upper level demon that assaulted Chris along with about twenty-five other demons that still remained in the manor went up in flames within a couple of seconds. The sisters and Leo were stunned at the spectacle they had just witnessed.

"Seriously? 'Be honored?' Who says that?" Came a voice from behind Chris and Wyatt. The two turned around to see Henry Jr. He was just as amazed at the power Chris and Wyatt had just demonstrated but he couldn't help but tease his favorite cousin. Piper ran towards Chris and hugged him tightly.

"You're OK. You _are_ OK, yes? Please tell me your are not hurt," Piper said with tear filled eyes. Chris smiled warmly.

"I'm OK mom. I'll be more than OK if you would let me breathe," Chris said as he tried very hard not to roll his eyes. Leo forced the worried mother away from his son. He then proceeded to check the skin on Chris's neck where the demon had stabbed him. Phoebe and Paige were the next ones to tackle the half elder. It took combined efforts from Wyatt, Leo and Henry Jr. to free Chris from their hugs.

"Where is Carver? You found him, yes?" Leo asked his eldest. Wyatt nodded affirmative.

"He was badly shaken. He's at the magic school. Sleeping like a baby on one of the couches. Evan is tending to him. I thought he'll be safer there, at least for now" Wyatt informed his father. Phoebe dragged her three nephews to the conservatory and motioned them to settle down. Junior's face darkened as he realized that he was about to face a tsunami of questions regarding his unauthorized visit to the underworld. Suddenly leaving the magic school and coming to the manor sounded like a stupid idea. Fortunately for him Phoebe first directed her attention to his older cousins.

"OK. Now, what the hell happened back there?" Phoebe asked incredulously. A proud smile appeared on Chris's face. Wyatt grinned widely and put an arm around his little brother's neck and pulled him closer.

"My little brother is a genius. I'm so proud of you kitten!" Wyatt said to Chris using his childhood nickname. Like the charmed ones familiar, Kit, Wyatt and Chris had a cat named Mason as a familiar when they were kids. Looking at the similarity in their eye color, Wyatt started calling his baby brother; kitten. Chris generally disliked nicknames but for some reason didn't mind being called kitten by his big brother. Despite having inferiority complex with his brother, Chris looked up to Wyatt and always tried to impress his big brother. Hearing the praise from the twice-blessed witch, the half elder blushed, slightly.

"After Chris told me the location where the source had kept Carver and Junior, I headed straight to the cavern. At the back of my mind I knew that this was a trap but my mind was too preoccupied thinking of Carv and Junior and I didn't really care as long as I got to save them. Just as I was about to enter the cavern, Chris showed up. He promptly orbed both of us to the magic school," Wyatt narrated.

"That would be when he disappeared from the manor for a few minutes," Piper observed glaring at her youngest. She was still a little mad at him for leaving abruptly without telling her where he was going. Chris smiled at his mother sheepishly.

"Yes," Wyatt continued, "He had this brilliant idea of using astral projection to rescue Carver and Junior. Although both of us can astral project, our powers are not strong enough to project ourselves all the way to the underworld. But Chris thought it might work if he can use his power amplification ability as a catalyst."

"Ingenious!" Leo admired his son. Chris was now thoroughly flushed.

"We have always been a great team, the two of us. It wasn't that difficult to extend our already perfect coordination and combine our powers. Fortunately astral projection was one of the things we practiced after Kevin left. We went into dad's office so that nobody would disturb us. I projected myself back to the underworld and Chris projected himself back here. Our bodies were perfectly safe at magic school. The demon tried to kill Chris's astral projection," Wyatt explained.

"And you couldn't tell us about it before? You almost gave me a heart attack when the demon slit your throat," Piper said in mock anger.

"I didn't get the chance. I had to hurry and find Wyatt before he entered that cavern. When I came back, we were attacked almost immediately," Chris explained to his mother.

"So what else happened in the underworld? Do you know who kidnapped Carver? Was it the source?" Leo asked his eldest. Wyatt seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"The source hired a demon named Savat to kidnap and torture Carv. Possibly to gather some information about us," Wyatt informed his family.

"Savat. Why does that name sound familiar?" Phoebe asked.

"He is the demon of pain. I had vanquished him years ago. It seems he's back," Paige told her sister. A vain smile appeared on Wyatt's face.

"He was back. Not anymore!" He informed them. 'Show off', Henry Jr. muttered under his breath. Chris tried his best to hide the smirk on his face. Piper just rolled her eyes.

"Please tell me you didn't encounter the source down there," Phoebe pleaded.

"That I did," Wyatt said knowing very well that this information was going to make his parents worry about him and his brother too much. But there was no point in lying about it. Piper and Leo's face visibly darkened with Wyatt's response.

"By the way, the entry about the source in the book is outdated. He's not a demon with the burnt face anymore. He's actually rather normal looking guy with a goatee. The strangest thing is that while talking to me he implied that some how Chris foiled some of his evil plans twenty-two years ago. When I told him that he was being ridiculous because Chris is twenty-two, he claimed that you guys are keeping some big secret from us," Wyatt said to his dad with a hint of suspicion. Chris and Henry Jr. raised their eyebrows. Piper looked like somebody had just hit her in the face. She quickly pulled herself together however before Wyatt turned his face to her. Ever alert and neurotic Chris however didn't fail to notice the changes in his mom's expressions. He also felt a hint of rage in his father's eyes. His aunts looked at each other with an expression that clearly said, 'You think its possible?'

"What? You know who he is, don't you?" Chris asked looking his mother in the eye. He was almost certain that they were hiding something from him. Piper considered her options for a moment before speaking.

"If we are correct, he's someone from our past. Someone we vanquished before you were born," Piper told her youngest. Leo looked at her disbelievingly. Was she going to tell them everything? Wyatt was more confused than anything.

"OK. So we can do it again," Wyatt said looking at his mother and aunts. Chris knew there was something more.

"And how does he know me?" Chris asked.

"He doesn't. Demons lie", was Piper's simple answer. She felt horrible lying to her son like that. Decades ago, Piper and her family had agreed that it was in best interest of their children that they never find out about the evil Wyatt and Chris's journey through the past. Over the ears they had come to realize that Wyatt was a sensitive person and he might not be able to handle the fact that in another lifetime, he had tried to hurt his little brother and indirectly caused his untimely demise. They didn't know enough about the past Chris's relationship with the evil Wyatt. The other Chris had kept them in total darkness about the details citing 'future consequences'. Although they got a glimpse of the dark future when Piper accidentally summoned Wyatt from the future and a demon succeeded in turning him evil, at least temporarily. By now, however they were irrevocably committed to their lie.

* * *

><p>Down in the underworld, Dan was still following Junior's trail, completely unaware that Wyatt had already rescued the two. The trail soon went cold however and Dan had no idea where to look next. Suddenly Carver's voice rang through Prue's head.<p>

'_Prue? Can you hear me?'_ Carver asked. Prue's eyes widened. This could mean they were getting closer.

'_Carv? Where are you? We've been looking for you all over the underworld'_; Prue responded in her mind as she stopped Dan from moving further. Dan was confused but quickly realized that his girlfriend was in the middle of a telepathic conversation.

'_Wy saved Junior and me. I'm at the magic school. Evan just told me that you and Dan are still in the underworld so I thought you should know that we're safe; at least for now'_, Carver informed her.

'_Thanks Carv, we'll now go back to the manor'_, Prue responded.

"Carv and Junior are safe. Wy got them home safely," Prue informed her boyfriend as she held his arm expecting him to shimmer them away to the manor. Dan was visibly relieved to hear the good news but he was a little reluctant to return to the manor just yet.

"Why don't you go back to the manor? They might need your help. I still need to follow the lead on this 'legendary weapon'. I'll see you back at the manor soon," Dan said.

"Honey you are still weak from the earlier attack. I agreed to let you come down here because Carv and Junior's lives were at stake. But this weapon lead is not critical, at least for now. We don't even know if the information is true. Let's go back to the manor and inform the others. May be aunt Paige can ask the elders about this weapon. We'll come back when we have more information," Prue pointed out logically.

"But…" Dan attempted to argue but Prue cut him off midsentence.

"No buts. We're going back. Now. If you don't shimmer us, I'm perfectly capable of teleporting us out of here. But think about it, if a demon were to see you teleporting away with a cupid, your cover might be blown," Prue made a point and Dan could not argue with her. He agreed reluctantly. He was still thinking about her earlier comment. If she thought she was coming down here with him on his next mission, she was truly delusional. But this was neither time nor the place to point that out. Without another word, Dan shimmered the both of them away to the manor.

* * *

><p>"Their half demon ally knows about the sword. That means you will be visiting them soon, I take it?" Roland asked Arrazigal as they watched the events unfolding before them. Arrazigal seemed thoughtful for a moment.<p>

"They found out about it sooner than I had anticipated. But no matter, I only need to make a slight change in my plan," Arrazigal said as if talking to himself. Roland and Sandra, who were listening to the angel of destiny, had a slight worried look on their face. After all they had no idea what the raven haired man had planned for the Halliwells. Had Kevin been around, he would have asked Arrazigal point blank about his plans but since the young elder had revealed one of the elder's best kept secrets to the witches, Odin and Kheel had grown quite suspicious of him. As a result Sandra had advised him to lay low for a little while.

"I think it is time I meet 'the Catalyst' in person," Arrazigal said as he changed his attire to match that of a college student.

"Is the deception really necessary?" Sandra asked the angel of destiny slightly annoyed.

"Do not worry. I'm not planning to keep my identity from the Halliwells for too long. But first I need to assure them that I mean them no harm," Arrazigal replied.

"And you think the best way to win their trust is to deceive them?" Sandra asked rhetorically. The angel of destiny chuckled.

"The Halliwells don't trust any kind of angels anymore, thanks to your kind. Do you honestly believe the witches are going to welcome me with open arms if I approach them and tell them who I am? There is no other way," the angel of destiny spoke.

"Just out of curiosity, you are supposed to be the neutral being. Your job is to maintain the balance…" Roland said but was cut off midsentence by the angel.

"Thank you for reminding me! I can not imagine how I would function without the elders reminding me what I'm supposed to do!" Arrazigal said sarcastically. Roland took a deep breath.

"I was just wondering why you would favor the side of good over evil," Roland completed his thought. Arrazigal's face grew serious. He looked Roland in the eye for a brief moment before responding.

"Because the return of the source is just the tip of the iceberg. There are greater threats looming on the horizon that threaten the very existence of this world. I need the Halliwells to maintain the balance," Arrazigal revealed.

"A threat greater than the source of all that is evil?" Sandra found it hard to believe. Arrazigal nodded affirmative. The faces of the two elders darkened with worry. Even if the 'Scion of Balance' could be lying, conniving and manipulative sometimes, his dedication to maintaining the balance between good and evil was undeniable. If Arrazigal was actively favoring the side of good, the threat was indeed great. _If_ he was indeed favoring and that was a big 'if'.

* * *

><p>"How is this even possible? Astral projection? They projected all the way to the underworld? They fooled <em>me<em>! I saw the younger one being slaughtered. How could _I_ not see it was just a projection? They will not get away with it," the seer took it as a personal insult. It was evident from the way she unwittingly stressed on the 'ME's and 'I's. The source frowned.

"Pride will be your undoing," the source observed. The seer looked a bit embarrassed.

"Forgive me sire. The vision I received from my divination pool was unequivocal. And yet the Halliwells live. I cannot help but take it as an insult of my powers and my art," the seer apologized.

"The younger one is smarter than I gave him credit for. We have to plan our next move very carefully. We mustn't underestimate them. The boy is currently alone, is he not?" the source asked. The seer nodded realizing where this line of thought was leading. An evil smirk appeared on the source's face.

* * *

><p>Chris was pressing for more information on this new source when Dan and Prue shimmered in. Phoebe got up and hugged her daughter. She knew Dan wouldn't let anything bad happen to his girlfriend but a mother always worries about her children. Dan still looked a little pale and Chris offered him a seat.<p>

"Let me change first. I don't want anyone else to see me dressed like this," Dan said pointing at his leather vest.

"I think you look hot!" Wyatt said teasing his best friend. Dan and Chris rolled their eyes.

"Carv and Prue will wring your neck for hitting on me," Dan said winking at Prue who wrapped her long fingers around Wyatt's throat. Wyatt stuck out his tongue and acted as if he was choking.

"Focus people! We have bigger problems here," Chris attempted to get them back on track.

"Honey, why don't you go and change, I'll fill them in on what we found out," Prue said. Dan shimmered away as Prue started narrating what had happened in the demonic bar. As soon as she got to the part with the 'legendary weapon', Wyatt grew more curious. He had always thought that having the control of the Excalibur was as big an advantage to the side of good as his twice-blessed powers. If the evil got its hands on its own powerful weapon, it could spell disaster.

"What do you mean 'legendary'? Like Excalibur?" Chris was the one who interrupted his cousin. Prue shrugged her shoulders.

"We don't know what kind of weapon it is. We don't know who has it. And most importantly we don't know what they plan to do with it. All the demon said is that this weapon is supposed to be instrumental in our destruction. Which means we need to find it and possibly destroy it before they have a chance to use it against us," Prue summarized. Dan had returned by now and had taken a seat near his girlfriend.

"It may not be that simple. Weapons like Excalibur cannot be destroyed. We may be able to acquire it and possibly use it against the evil. If we can't use it, we may be able to hide it somewhere no one would be able to find it," Leo observed. For some reason, the idea of using the weapon against the evil seemed extremely fascinating to Chris.

"Paige why don't you ask _them_ what they know?" Piper asked pointing upwards toward elder land.

"I'm on it. But first I need to talk to my son. In private", Paige said looking at Henry Jr. with narrowed eyes. Henry Jr. winced as suddenly all eyes turned to him. Ordinarily, his mom wasn't the type to blow the gasket like his aunt Piper. But these weren't ordinary circumstances. The fact that his mom wanted to talk to him in private told him that he was in bigger trouble than he had imagined. Paige directed him to the kitchen.

"Aunt Paige!" Chris said in a pleading voice as Henry Jr. left the room, "Please, go easy on him. He's not our cousin; he's our brother. If dad was missing, you would have done the same for mom."

Paige smiled kindly at her favorite nephew before entering the kitchen.

* * *

><p>While all the Halliwell powerhouses were busy looking for Carver and Junior, Reese, Penny and Pattie were helping out at the restaurants. Coop had filled in for Carver temporarily. Over the centuries he'd been around, the cupid had picked up quite a few tricks to complement his cupid skills. Cooking was one of them. Every once in a while he would teach his charges to cook a romantic dinner for their partners. With Carver out of commission, Coop was the only one other than Chris and Piper who had the skills to fill in for him. Dan had been running around the underworld, looking for information. In his absence, JD had taken over his bartending responsibilities while Billie took care of arranging the live performances at the club. All of them were eager to help with the demon hunt but the cold fact remained that demon hunts don't pay the bills. Someone had to do the 'mortal jobs' and keep them out of bankruptcy.<p>

"Reese, buddy, could you come here a second?" Coop called his son to the manager's office after he was done with his shift and had changed into street clothes. Reese was almost done with his shift too.

"Yes, Dad, What's up?" Reese asked wiping the sweat off of his brow as he entered the office. Coop offered him an envelope. Reese's face lightened up.

"Chris left this for you," Coop said as he handed his son the white envelope.

"Yes!" Reese exclaimed as he snatched the envelope from his dad's hands. Coop raised his brows with curiosity.

"These are concert tickets. They're sold out now. Chris's roommate, Aaron, picked them up for me," Reese explained as he eagerly opened the white envelope. He touched the ticket and suddenly felt light headed. Coop noticed this and rushed to his son's aid. Reese looked exactly like Phoebe when she had a premonition. However Reese didn't have the power of premonition. He was more of a cupid and only had inherited the power of levitation from his mother. Coop led his son to a nearby chair where he almost collapsed. Within a few seconds, Reese was back to normal. He looked at his father slightly scared.

"You had a premonition, didn't you?" Coop asked his son. Reese wasn't sure but he nodded nonetheless. His eyes widened in fear and breaths came in short bursts. Coop rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down.

"I saw Chris's dorm room. They are going to attack Aaron. One of the demons was about to stab Aaron through the heart. Chris was there too but I think he was knocked out. I don't understand this. Aaron is not even a witch. I don't think he knows about who we are either. What would the demons gain by killing him? We can't tell Chris. If this is really a premonition, we have to keep Chris away from the dorm room," Reese got it out in one breath.

"Any idea how much time we have?" Coop asked his son. Reese looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered.

"At least three days", Reese said with certainty. Coop was curious. Premonitions, especially the ones received by a beginner, do not usually appear days in advance.

"How can you be so certain?" Coop asked. Reese looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Aaron's girlfriend is my charge. He was wearing a shirt she has bought for his birthday which happens to be in three days," Reese said sheepishly. Coop frowned.

"Since when do you have charges? I asked the elders specifically not to assign you any charges," Coop was furious at the manipulative ways of the elders.

"I knew you thought I was too young to have a charge. But Wy, Chris and Junior got their first charges when they were eighteen. Why should I be any different? And I didn't tell you because I wanted to prove it to you that I could do it. Do you know how comforting it is to know that your own father doesn't have faith in you?" Reese asked sarcastically.

"Love is a delicate matter and I believe a cupid needs to be more mature to do his job properly. But this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this. We'll talk about it later. Now, tell me more about the premonition," Coop attempted to get Reese back on track.

"There isn't much else to tell. The demons looked like lower level demons. It makes sense that they will send lower level demons to kill a mortal. What I don't get is that how in the hell did they manage to knock out Chris? It means there is someone or something else there that I didn't see," Reese said in a worried tone. The expression on his father's face told him that the cupid was thinking of the same thing. Reese grabbed the tickets again in an attempt to get another premonition and see any details he might have missed the first time. Unfortunately it didn't work. Reese grunted in frustration.

"There is something else," Coop observed. Reese avoided eye contact.

"What is it?" Coop asked persistently.

"I don't know. I just have this very bad feeling in my stomach. The thing is that I'm not very sure if Chris was just knocked out or…" Reese couldn't even finish the sentence. Coop's face darkened. He knew exactly what kind of nightmare scenarios his son was thinking about. He put a comforting arm on Reese's shoulder before the two teleported to the manor.

* * *

><p>"Mom, I know I screwed up, OK? I messed up big time. I should not have gone there all by myself. But Carv was hurting and so was Wy. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing when it was all my fault," Junior began ranting as his mother entered the room. Paige just watched her son with a rather blank expression. Henry Jr. couldn't discern emotions like anger, worry, frustration he was expecting to see on his mother's face. This unnerved him greatly.<p>

"Sweetie, You do realize that what you did was extremely reckless. I have faced that demon before. I know what he's capable of. And believe me I understand your point of view. But this is not the way to do things; at least not in our family. This kind of thoughtless behavior may cost you your life. I don't think I could live if anything happened to you," Paige said pulling her child in a hug. She silently sobbed as Junior tried to comfort her.

"I'm so sorry mom. It won't happen again," Junior managed to say before his voice broke.

"Yes, it will. You are just like me in that sense. First sign of problem for your brothers and you will jump in to trouble without second thought. And don't take it the wrong way, I'm still mad at you for almost giving me a heart attack, but I'm also proud of you," Paige said with a hint of smile on her face.

"Proud of me? What for? I failed Wy when I didn't tell him or Chris about Carver being followed. I acted like an idiot and blew my cover in an undercover mission. To top it all of, I'm not sure how long it would have taken Savat to break me and make me betray my own family. I'm a failure mom; I didn't accomplish anything but cause trouble. So don't tell me you're proud of me when I've been such a spectacular disappointment," Henry Jr. said asking his mother to stop trying to make him feel better.

"First of all, what happened to Carv wasn't your fault. I'm mad at you for your utter disregard to your own safety but I'm also proud of you because you were brave and selfless. You could never disappoint me. And yes; I know what Wyatt said to you and I'm certain the he didn't mean a word of it," Paige told her son.

"Aunt Paige is right. Can we talk?" Wyatt asked as he entered the kitchen. He had heard his aunt's last comment. Paige looked at Wyatt and smiled weakly. She wasn't exactly happy with Wyatt for what he had said but she was also grateful for saving her son's life. She could imagine how her eldest nephew felt and her anger towards Wyatt had slowly subsided.

"I never meant any of the nasty things I said to you earlier. I wasn't thinking straight. No, I wasn't thinking at all. And I'm sorry for blaming you for what happened," Wyatt continued. Paige had finished what she wanted to say to her son and left the room to give her son and nephew a moment to talk.

"I can imagine what you were feeling. You were worried and frustrated. It's understandable," Junior said to his eldest cousin.

"But not acceptable. You're family and I know you care about our family. I should have never made such accusations. I should never have said all those things to you. Can you forgive me?" Wyatt asked looking at his little cousin hopefully. A genuine smile appeared on Junior's face.

"Despite what happened, I know you're a big teddy bear Wy and I know you love me. I was never mad at you. There is nothing to forgive," Henry Jr. assured his cousin.

* * *

><p>"Did you send the half cupid the power of premonition?" Odin asked Arrazigal furiously. The angel of destiny smiled and nodded negative. This was the last thing Odin wanted, another Halliwell with more power.<p>

"Then who did? None of my elders would do such thing… " Odin said but was abruptly cut off by a very amused Arrazigal.

"_Your_ elders? Can we own the elders now? I wonder why I was not informed," Arrazigal said rhetorically. Odin rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean. The elders who are sensible enough to understand the repercussions of infusing too much power in individual witches," the elder said smugly. Before Arrazigal could respond, Kheel orbed in.

"He's lying. He's the one who sent the half cupid the new power," Kheel said looking at the angel of destiny accusingly. Odin frowned as he looked at him.

"You lied to me?" Odin said full of contempt.

"No. I did not. I did not send him the power of premonition. I made him an oracle. Premonitions allow you to see glimpse of one of many possible future events. Oracles can see a larger picture. They can predict the future much more accurately. There is a difference," Arrizigal responded calmly. Odin and Kheel were irritated by the condescending attitude.

"We cannot allow you to do this. It's too dangerous to give such powers to the already powerful Halliwells," Kheel said trying to take back the control of the situation.

"You made a mistake by assuming you had a say in the matter. You see; I don't need your permission to do anything. There is nothing you can do to stop me from doing anything I plan to do. In fact if you attempt to obstruct my path, you might find yourselves being recycled. Now; if you two would excuse me, I've got a job to do", Arrazigal warned the two overconfident elders before disappearing into golden lights.

* * *

><p>Wyatt orbed to the magic school and was greeted with a warm smile by his lover. A sudden wave of guilt washed over the blond witch as he realized that there was no trace of accusation in Carver's eyes. The source had targeted Carver solely because he was Wyatt's lover. If it hadn't been for Wyatt, Carver wouldn't have been in this predicament. Carver pulled the blond witch closer to him and planted a kiss on his lips.<p>

"Don't ever blame yourself. It's not your fault. You hear me? It's. Not. Your. Fault." Carver said accentuating every word.

"Since when did you have empathy?" Wyatt asked smiling with tear filled eyes.

"I don't need empathy to know what _you_ are thinking. It's a boyfriend thing," Carver explained.

"Of course it's my fault. If it hadn't been for me, the source would have never come after you. He tortured you because of me," Wyatt said now tears running freely down his cheeks.

"Do you remember our first date?" Carver asked suddenly. Wyatt was a bit surprised by the question.

"Of course I remember. We went to…" Wyatt began but was cut off by Carver midsentence.

"Do you remember how it ended?" He asked. Now Wyatt knew where this was going.

"That was completely different," Wyatt protested.

"Was it? We were crossing the street and some crazy drunk driver was about to run me over. You pushed me out of the way and ended up with a broken arm yourself in the process," Carver reminded his lover of the incident.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"You see; you broke your arm because of me. If I hadn't been there with you, you would have been perfectly safe. It was my fault that you broke your arm," Carver said.

"Don't say that. It was the bloody drunkard's fault. And I would willingly suffer through a lot worse if it means keeping you safe," Wyatt said looking Carver in the eye.

"My point exactly. What happened today wasn't your fault. It was the source's doing. I'll go through hell if it means I get to be with you," Carver made his point. His argument was irrefutable. A smile appeared on Wyatt's face.

"I can't believe how lucky I am to have found a guy like you," Wyatt said as he kissed his lover passionately.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple of uneventful days since Reese got his premonition. At least he thought it was a premonition. He had no idea about him being an oracle, yet. Phoebe was excited to know that her son inherited another one of her powers. Everyone in the family except Chris knew about Reese's premonition. Wyatt had been given the responsibility to keep Chris away from his dorm room. Wyatt expected this to be a simple task since Chris had temporarily moved in with his big brother. Unfortunately, Wyatt was as bad at keeping secrets as his aunt Phoebe. This led to a few interesting conversations between Wyatt and Chris.<p>

"I'm just going to orb over to my room and get some more books. I'm going to need them for my test on Monday," Chris shouted from his room. Wyatt, who was currently busy in a make out session with his boyfriend, was startled.

"No! I mean you don't have to go. I'll get your books. I can orb them here if you tell me which ones you need," Wyatt said quickly putting his shirt on and stumbling towards the guest room where Chris currently resided. He had to stop Chris before he left.

"I can orb too, remember?" Chris reminded his brother looking at him suspiciously. This was the third time in last two days when his brother had stopped him from going to the dorm for some ridiculous reason or the other.

"Yes, but that would be personal gain. We don't need any more problems with the elders, now do we?" Wyatt asked hoping Chris would accept the reasoning. Chris narrowed his eyes. Carver, who was now leaning against the doorframe, listened to the conversation curiously.

"Since when do you care about what the elders think?" Chris asked staring at his brother. He had a suspicion that his big brother was hiding something from him. Wyatt tried to come up with some sort of justification of his action but came up blank. Anything he could think of were just a bunch of lame excuses and Chris was too smart to buy any of them. In fact they would have made him even more suspicious. Fortunately Carver came to his rescue.

"Oh for goodness' sake Wy; quit making lame excuses. You are not getting out of cleaning the bathroom that easily," Carver said admonishing his boyfriend and then turned to Chris, "But Chris, really, Wy can get your books and then clean the bathroom after he returns. I could really use your help writing a protection spell for my workplace. I don't want any demons showing up at the restaurant. I don't want to relive past few days if I can help."

"I could have helped you write the protection spell," Wyatt said not realizing Carver was giving him a good excuse. Carver rolled his eyes.

"Yah, right. Considering your spell writing skills, he will need another protection spell to protect him from the backfire of your spell," Chris teased his brother as he handed him a list of books he needed. Wyatt was so happy to have succeeded in keeping Chris away from the dorm room that he momentarily forgot the fact that he had to clean the bathroom after he returns. He orbed away without another word. Although Chris accepted Carver's reasoning behind Wyatt's strange behavior for now, he couldn't help but think that his big brother was hiding something from him. He made a mental note to talk to his aunt Phoebe to try and find out what was going on.

* * *

><p>On the top of the golden gate bridge, a hooded figure was talking to a dangerous looking man clad in a leather vest. Although the hooded figure was covered completely in grey robes, it was quite clear that it was another man. He was talking in an extremely low voice as if he feared someone might overhear the conversation.<p>

"Do we have a deal?" The hooded man asked. The other man raised his hand to reveal the birthmark on his wrist.

"I'm a phoenix. We have a deal as long as you are ready to pay me," the man said. The hooded figure handed the phoenix a crystal ball. The ball glowed with a faint blue tint.

"I cannot offer you mortal currency. But I can pay you in the form of power. This orb will give you a considerable power boost. After that only 'a power of three spell' will be able to vanquish you. I'm paying you in advance. Don't make me regret my decision," the hooded man said. The Phoenix smirked and took the crystal. The power in the crystal was quickly absorbed in the phoenix's body.

"You have my word. Just one last question; why go after the mortal? What does it get you? I was surprised to receive such a contract from someone like you," the phoenix said. The hooded man stirred uncomfortably. The clever phoenix had figured out who he was, or at least what he was. This could turn ugly. But by now he was irrevocably committed to the plan.

"My reasons are my own. I expect the mortal in question to meet his end tonight," the hooded man said and turned silent. The phoenix was curious about the reason but didn't care whether or not his curiosity was sated. He had received his payment in advance and that was more than enough for him. He shimmered out without another word. After the phoenix was gone, the hooded figure orbed away.

* * *

><p>"Oh crap," Chris mumbled as he looked at his watch. While helping Carver with the protection spell, Chris had lost track of time completely. He had a class in about five minutes and needed to reach the campus a.s.a.p. He quickly orbed himself to a toilet stall on the top floor of his college building. It was the closest restroom from classroom. He had taken a huge risk while orbing in as he could have easily exposed magic to some poor unsuspecting mortal. But he had already missed too many classes and this particular professor had a habit of locking the door once the class began. Chris got out of the stall and was startled for a moment. The restroom wasn't empty, as he had hoped. A dark haired young man of his own age was washing his hands. The guy turned his head and gave Chris a kind smile. Chris was thankful that the guy hadn't seen anything suspicious. Chris quickly made his way to the classroom.<p>

"Hi, I'm Ari," the same guy from the restroom settled himself on the empty seat besides Chris and introduced himself. Chris smiled and shook his outstretched hand as he introduced himself. Just then the professor walked in and any further conversation they might have had didn't happen.

* * *

><p>It was Aaron's birthday today and Reese was worried. His charge and Aaron's girlfriend, Julia, had planned a romantic evening. Before they left his apartment, he had put on his new shirt that Julia had gifted him. This meant tonight could be the night he is going to be attacked. Reese called Henry Jr. for backup who brought Wyatt with him.<p>

"Reese, why don't you go back to my apartment and wait for Chris. Keep him busy. Ask for his help in doing something. Just don't let him come here," Wyatt was attempting to keep Reese away from danger.

"But I want to help. Julia is my charge after all," Reese protested.

"Yes, and Aaron has just dropped her off at her place. Julia won't be here. Besides you are helping us by keeping Chris away," Henry Jr. said. Reese knew as Wyatt and Junior opened a united front, he didn't stand a chance of winning the argument. Reese teleported to Wyatt's apartment but he didn't have to be happy about it. Junior and Wyatt orbed into Chris's room and waited for the events to unfold.

"So lets go over the plan again," Wyatt said to his little cousin.

"We've already gone over it about fifty times," Henry Jr. said rolling his eyes.

"Humor me," Wyatt said.

"Alright. We tell Aaron that Chris gave us the key to pickup some more of his stuff. I keep him talking while we wait for the attack. First sign of trouble and you freeze the room, hopefully Aaron doesn't notice anything," Henry Jr. said in a monotone implying he was bored with Wyatt's neurosis.

"Then you take out most of the lower level demons while I go after the leader, the one Reese couldn't see. Hopefully we take care of the problem before Aaron unfreezes," Wyatt finished looking satisfied. Henry Jr. rolled his eyes.

"Dude, you are acting like Chrissie," Junior observed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"Peanut is the one who plans each and every movement in a demon fight. You usually just wing it," Henry Jr. told his cousin. Wyatt scoffed.

"I don't have OCD like Chris but I don't go in blind. I'm not an idiot. Besides, I'm not the one to go to the underworld pretending to be a dark-lighter when I don't know first thing about acting like a dark-lighter," Wyatt pointed out. Junior didn't say a word but made a face that said, 'whatever'. It wasn't long before they heard the key turn in the lock and someone entered. Reese had seen Aaron wear the same shirt so he knew the attack would come before Aaron got a chance to change. They were just about ready to set their plan in motion when the door to Chris's room opened.

"Wy! Junior! What the hell are you two doing here?" Chris asked them, a frown firmly in place. Both the blond witches looked at each other dumbfounded. All their planning had gone down the drain because they didn't count on Chris being there. Chris crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for an answer. Chris's new friend Ari was standing right behind him and looked quite amused.

"Well. There is a good explanation for this. And I'll give it to you as soon as I get home. It was a 'family emergency'. But what are you doing here?" Wyatt asked his little brother not wanting to reveal too much information in front of Ari.

"Ari, here, needed some notes. I came here to pick them up," Chris informed his big brother trying to figure out what the two witches were up to. Just then Aaron walked in and was confused when he saw his roommate with two of his cousins and a stranger.

"What's going on, guys?" Aaron asked. But before he could get any kind of answer, the air behind him shimmered. Wyatt quickly flicked his hands and froze the room. All the lower level demons along with Ari and Aaron seemed to be frozen. There were three phoenixes however who didn't freeze. Junior, with his potions, and Chris, with his electrokinesis, made short work of the frozen demons. Wyatt kept the phoenixes busy. Unfortunately for them, for every demon they vanquished another two shimmered in. Wyatt tried to blow up the phoenixes several times but every time they reformed. The battle was quickly getting out of hand. Suddenly there was a loud thud and Wyatt saw his little brother collapse.

"No!" Wyatt shouted as he let a huge burst of energy hit most of the demons vanquishing them instantly. Two of phoenixes were also vanquished. One remaining phoenix, however, seemed too powerful and he was just knocked on his backside. Junior was at Chris's side and checked his pulse.

"He's alive, just unconscious. One of the phoenixes managed to hit him on the head," Junior informed Wyatt as he attempted to heal Chris. Unfortunately, more demons shimmered in and Junior didn't get a chance to finish healing.

"Enough of this nonsense. Get the mortal," the only remaining phoenix ordered the newly arrived demons. One of the demons was about to stab frozen Aaron through the heart. Chris was still unconscious and Reese's premonition was coming true. Wyatt and Henry Jr. almost lost all hope when suddenly the whole room along with the phoenix froze. Wyatt, Chris and Junior were the only ones not frozen. Chris didn't move but his chest was rising and falling with every breath he took. He was clearly not frozen.

"That's a phoenix. You cannot freeze witches," Henry Jr. observed. Wyatt looked just as confused as his little cousin.

"I didn't do it," Wyatt informed Junior.

"I did," came a voice from behind. The two witches turned around to see the stranger who arrived with Chris, Ari. Wyatt looked at him suspiciously.

"Who are you?" Wyatt and Henry Jr. asked almost in unison.

"There will be time for introductions later. Why don't you heal your brother? You're going to need him, soon," Ari said calmly. Wyatt considered this advice for a moment. This stranger had saved their lives; or at least bought them some time. Without another word Wyatt and Junior healed Chris. The brunette witch woke up with a start.

"What's going on? Why is Ari not frozen?" he asked observing everyone else in the room was frozen. The three witches looked at the stranger suspiciously.

"You're a witch," Henry Jr. observed looking at Ari.

"A witch who can selectively freeze other witches," Wyatt added. Chris's eyes sparkled with recognition.

"He's not a witch. He's an angel of destiny," Chris concluded and looked at Ari for confirmation. Ari nodded affirmative.

"I'm an angel of destiny and much more than that. But there will be time for pleasantries later. First and foremost you have a phoenix to vanquish," Ari said pointing at the frozen phoenix.

"But I can't. I have tried. I know phoenixes reform but he doesn't even blow to pieces. I think we might need the 'power of three' for that," Wyatt informed. Ari smiled and observed the two brothers before responding.

"The 'power of two' is mightier than the 'power of three'. You two can finish him easily," the angel of destiny informed them. Chris held his brother's hand and concentrated. The angel of destiny unfroze the phoenix just before a surge of enormous power erupted from the brother's hands. The phoenix turned to ash within second. All three witches looked at Ari expecting answers to their obvious questions. Ari chuckled.

"Why don't you unfreeze our mortal friend here first?" Ari asked Wyatt. Wyatt nodded and unfroze Aaron after Chris fixed the room with his aunt Paige's spell. Aaron was blissfully unaware of all that had transpired in his living room. It wasn't difficult for Chris to convince him that Wyatt and Junior were there because the three of them had some plan together while Ari was there just to pickup some notes for one of the classes. The three witches along with Ari left for the manor. Chris and Wyatt called ahead and asked the sisters to gather at their ancestral home.

* * *

><p>"So Ari is not your real name, I take it?" Chris asked the angel of destiny.<p>

"Actually it is. It's short for Arrazigal. I would like to assure you that I'm on your side. Given the obvious mistrust you have towards any kind of angel, I had no choice but to hide my identity," Arrazigal said.

"And you thought the best way to win our trust was to deceive us. Am I the only one who sees the irony in this?" Chris asked rhetorically. Arrazigal chuckled.

"Given the right circumstances, my dear Catalyst, you would have done the same thing," the 'Scion of Balance' said to Chris while looking at Leo meaningfully. He was obviously referring to the fact that Chris had hidden his identity when he travelled to the past. The sisters and Leo were the only ones who truly understood what Arrazigal said.

"I doubt it," Chris said but before he could say anything else, Leo interrupted.

"That is irrelevant now that we know who he is. We need to know why he's here," the ex-elder said trying to change the subject. He clearly didn't want his sons to find out about the events that occurred some twenty-two years ago.

"Right to the point eh? Very well. The reason I'm here is to assist 'the Catalyst' in his ultimate destiny. After all I'm the leader of the angels of destinies. There is a greater threat looming on the horizon. The return of the source is just the tip of the iceberg. The new source is a mere puppet. The ones pulling the strings haven't shown their faces, yet. And you, my dear Catalyst, are the key to _their_ defeat," Arrazigal informed the Halliwells.

"But why me? I mean; Wyatt is the prophesized twice-blessed witch. I'm not even that powerful," Chris's inferiority complex was resurfacing once again. Wyatt simply rolled his eyes.

"Oh, there is a prophesy about you too. When it was uncovered, I issued a gag order to burry it," Arrazigal said awkwardly. All the Halliwells looked at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean 'you issued a gag order'? Why would you do that?" Piper asked incredulously.

"Because, 'The Catalyst' is far too important. Your eldest son is a prophesized child and the whole underworld has been after him since before his birth. I couldn't take that chance with your younger son. I ordered the other angels of destinies to keep this prophesy a secret till the time 'the Catalyst' is ready to accept his true destiny," Arrazigal elaborated the reasoning behind his actions. Piper wasn't exactly happy that she had been kept in dark intentionally, at the same time, she was grateful that her peanut hadn't been on the demonic hit list up until very recently. She couldn't help but think that revelation of this information might have helped Chris with his inferiority complex with his big brother.

"You are supposed to be neutral. Why are you helping us? What is it that you want from us?" Leo asked knowing exactly who Arrazigal was.

"I need your assistance in maintaining the balance between good and evil. The new threat I mentioned earlier is a threat to the very existence of this world. The exact nature of this new power is unknown, even to me. One thing is clear, we will need the 'power of two' to defeat it," Arrazigal responded with a worried expression. The most powerful beings the charmed ones had encountered thus far had been the angels of destinies. If their leader was worried, the new power indeed warranted more attention.

"And what is it about some 'legendary weapon' that's supposed to destroy us?" Phoebe asked the angel of destiny.

"Ah, the weapon. It is called the Equalizer. It is a sword specially forged for Catalysts. Just as Wyatt has inherited the Excalibur, your younger nephew Christopher is destined to be master of the Equalizer," Arrazigal informed the witches.

"Great! The demons are trying to kill my family and me with my own weapon. Any ideas on how we may be able to get it back?" Chris asked.

"It will be delivered to you. It's a 'special delivery', you could say," Arrazigal responded cryptically.

"When?" Wyatt asked.

"Sooner than you might think," Arrazigal said as they heard a loud crash in the conservatory. Chris threw an irritated glance at the angel of destiny before rushing downstairs to investigate the noise.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the fourth chapter. <strong>

**Kindly read and review.**


	6. The Broken Sword

**Author's Notes: **In this chapter, I have tried to explore Chris and Wyatt's bond a bit more. Initially I had planned to write a single chapter to cover the story, taking place during this chapter and the next. However the chapter became too long so I had to split it in two. Also, my apologies for the delay. Past few weeks have been tough and it has been very difficult for me to find the time and inspiration to write.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Broken Sword<strong>

The Halliwells rushed downstairs all ready for battle. They were expecting to face a swarm of demons in the house but to their surprise, there was only one demon standing in the conservatory. He was a fairly good-looking humanoid demon holding a long sword in his left hand like a walking stick and was leaning on it. Piper raised her hands; ready to blow him up at the first sign of aggression. But the demon seemed amused and kept smiling.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" Piper asked the intruder with a frown firmly in place.

"The end of the Warren line, next source of all that is evil, your death, take your pick," the demon answered arrogantly. A smirk appeared on Wyatt's face.

"You're not the first one to try and take us out. And I'm sure you will not be the last," Wyatt taunted him. The demon however did not respond to the twice blessed as he saw Arrazigal enter the room.

"Arrazigal, I didn't expect to see you here. When you employed me to uncover this sword, you didn't tell me about its power. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" The demon asked incredulously.

"Turel, your job is to recover the sword and deliver it to 'the Catalyst'. Those were the terms of your release from the purgatory. I told you everything you needed to know. Now, be a good boy and hand over the weapon to Christopher," Arrazigal demanded. All the Halliwells looked at the angel of destiny; surprised. The demon, however, glared at him.

"You released a demon from hell? Why would you do something like that?" Phoebe asked. Arrazigal smiled.

"The sword was buried in the depths of hell. I needed someone clever and resourceful to uncover it and bring it back to this world. Turel fit the bill perfectly. So I offered him freedom in exchange for the sword," Arrazigal explained.

"If you think I will give up such a powerful weapon just like that, you are sadly mistaken. With this sword in my hand, I can single handedly end the charmed ones and the entire Warren line. You see, this sword makes me invincible," Turel said smugly. Arrazigal showed no sign of agitation on his face. He was calm as ever.

"You will deliver the sword, one way or another. You see; I always knew you would not keep your end of the bargain. As a matter of fact, I was counting on it. If you relinquish the sword, you get to stay out of purgatory, at least for a little while, otherwise, you will go straight back to hell," Arrazigal informed the demon.

"What does he mean by invincible? Does that mean we can't vanquish him?" Paige asked the angel of destiny.

"You will find out soon enough," the demon said firing up a fireball. Piper quickly flicked her hands in an attempt to blow him up. Piper's attack created a shock wave and hit him square in the chest. Unfortunately, the only thing it managed to do is create a few sparks of fire and that's it. Instead of giving out an agonizing cry and turning to a pile of ash, the demon stood there smiling as if he had been hit by a pillow. He threw the fireball at Piper who quickly ducked to avoid it.

"Fireball!" Paige called and the fireball that was rapidly approaching Piper changed its direction and hit the demon. To their dismay, Turel's body simply absorbed the fireball like a sponge absorbing water. The smug smile was still intact on the demon's face. The very next moment, a whole arsenal of Halliwell offensive powers hit the demon. Wyatt started flinging energy balls towards the demon while Chris attempted to electrocute him with his electrokinesis. Paige orbed several heavy and sharp objects towards Turel that materialized just before hitting him. Piper continued to try and blow him up with her molecular acceleration. Leo had grabbed a dark-lighter bow before rushing downstairs and was shooting poisoned arrows at the demon. The poison could still prove dangerous to the ex-elder but he didn't really care. Phoebe threw the atheme she had grabbed. Henry Jr. with his telekinesis assisted his mother by throwing everything from kitchen knives to chairs and vases at the demon. Unfortunately for the witches, none of their attacks seemed to work. The demon was simply absorbing all the magical attacks and all the physical damage healed almost instantly. After several minutes of bombardment, the demon still stood his ground yawning and mocking a group of the most powerful witches in the world.

"What the hell? We can't fight him like this. Do something," Chris demanded of Arrazigal who was watching the whole scene with a bit of indifference.

"This isn't my fight. And its not theirs either. You alone can defeat this creature," Arrazigal informed the half elder. As if on cue, Turel pulled Chris closer to him with his own demonic version of telekinesis. The Halliwells were all exhausted by now and the demon was unharmed. He immobilized Chris with his power. Piper and Leo were in shock as they witnessed their youngest was about to be beheaded by a deadly weapon.

"No! Leave him alone," Piper roared. Wyatt let loose enormous bursts of energy towards the demon as a desperate try to take him out and save his little brother. The sheer magnitude of the energy wave might have been enough to take out the source but Turel was still standing. Wyatt on the other hand had spent too much power and as a consequence, collapsed. Henry Jr. quickly moved closer and supported his cousin and tried to keep him on his feet.

"This is the sweetest irony in all of this. The weapon that was supposed to make _you_ invincible, is now going to take your life," Turel said as he struck Chris with the sword. Chris glared at his murderer with a stone cold face, not willing to give Turel the satisfaction of seeing the pain, fear, anger and frustration he was feeling at the moment. The time seemed to slow down for this moment as the sword made contact with the skin of Chris's neck. The first drop of Chris's blood touched the edge and something incredible happened.

* * *

><p>"Are you alright; buddy?" JD asked his son who seemed lost in his own world. He could see that Adam was dressed to impress someone special.<p>

"Hmm? Oh… I'm… fine. Dad, why do you ask?" Adam was thoroughly blushing by now. JD noticed the fact and smiled.

"You just seemed lost in thought. You have been smiling a lot lately for no apparent reason. I'm no cupid but I recognize all the classic signs," JD observed.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Adam decided to play dumb. He had no intension of discussing his romantic life with his technically hundred-year-old father. He proceeded to tie his shoes trying his best to hide the redness of his cheeks from his father.

I was just wondering who the girl is. It is a girl, right?" JD added a little mischievously.

"Dad…" Adam whined, now thoroughly embarrassed by his father's comment. Billie entered the room just then and settled besides her husband.

"Stop teasing my boy!" She told JD, "We just want you to know that we're OK even if it's not a girl. I just hope you found some one decent like Carver," she added looking at Adam.

"It's a girl, alright? For goodness' sake why does everyone think I'm gay?" Adam started ranting and quickly realized that he had fallen into their trap. A smug smile appeared on Billie's face as she glanced at her husband meaningfully. Adam rolled his eyes.

"OK. Now that you have admitted that it's about a girl, why don't you tell us who she is?" JD asked. Adam realized that he had to give his parents something in order to get them off of his back.

"It's not a date. We're just going to see a movie and then may be grab something to eat. We're just friends," Adam informed JD and Billie.

"Right… but that's not what I asked. Who is she?" Billie asked.

"It's Penny, alright?" Adam said trying to avoid eye contact with his parents.

"Do the three musketeers know?" JD asked referring to Wyatt, Chris and Henry Jr. When it came to their younger cousins and dating, Wyatt's over-protective nature and Chris's neurosis knew no bound. Henry Jr. was a bit more reasonable.

"There is nothing for them to know. And I'm late. I'll see you guys later. And thanks for the car, dad," Adam said as he grabbed the car keys and rushed out of the house before his parents had a chance to say anything else.

* * *

><p>"Bloody hell!" Henry Jr. exclaimed as he witnessed the unthinkable happen. The sword, upon making contact with Chris's body, shattered as if it was made up of glass. Hundreds of tiny sharp metal pieces scattered all over the place. Several bolts of what appeared to be electricity shot from the broken sword and enveloped Chris. A few of them hit Turel who gave an agonizing cry before being enveloped in flames and turn to dust. Chris's body absorbed the surge of power that erupted from the sword almost instantly. The half elder was still standing there, unharmed and amazed at what just had happened.<p>

"What just happened?" Wyatt was the first one to break the stunned silence that filled the room as he rushed towards his baby brother and began checking him for injuries. Piper quickly followed her eldest. Wyatt pulled him in a tight hug after making sure he was all right.

"Wy, I'm alright. Now, let me breathe," Chris pleaded. Wyatt smiled a little and ruffled Chris's hair. Soon the rest of the family followed suit and about half a dozen people tackled Chris.

"You! You are going to explain to us just what the hell happened here," Piper said pointing her index finger at Arrazigal. The angel of destiny smiled warmly before commenting.

"Your son is a time spanning soul. His two halves just reunited," Arrazigal responded rather cryptically.

"Chris is what now?" Wyatt asked not understanding what 'the Scion of Balance' said.

"It's a story that started hundreds of years ago. But I think you two need to see it happen first hand," Arrazigal said to the brothers as he waved his hand and opened up a portal on a nearby wall.

"Are you sending them back through time? I'm not letting my sons step through any portal without knowing where they are going to land," Piper warned. Leo stood besides his wife to show his support. Arrazigal smiled.

"Don't worry. I have already told you that 'the Catalyst' has a far too important role in the destiny of the world. I would not risk his life or his sanity," Arrazigal reassured the concerned parents. Chris looked at the angel with raised eyebrows as he gestured them to step through the portal while Wyatt seemed rather thrilled about the adventure.

"Don't worry mom. I'll watch his back and make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble," Wyatt said to his mother with a reassuring smile. Chris and Henry Jr. couldn't help but laugh at the idea but quickly masked their laughter in fake cough. Wyatt glared at the two.

"Are you suggesting I don't look after my younger brother and cousins? I have always been a responsible big brother," Wyatt said with a touch of hurt in his voice.

"I never said that you didn't look after me. It's just that you are more of a troublemaker amongst us. More than likely I'll be the one who has to keep you out of trouble in our little voyage through time," Chris said slapping his big brother playfully on the back. Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Is it absolutely necessary for them to go? I mean you could just tell us what happened. It's too dangerous," Piper asked Arrazigal. Leo and her sisters shared her concerns. After all last time Chris travelled through time, he ended up getting killed. Arrazigal seemingly understood their apprehension.

"I wouldn't send them back if it wasn't absolutely necessary. But don't worry; history will not repeat itself. I assure you of that," said the angel of destiny to Leo and Piper. Although he had said it in a whisper making sure Chris and Wyatt were distracted, Henry Jr. had heard his comment. Of course he didn't understand what it meant but the sisters and Leo apparently did. Junior made a mental note to chat with his aunt Phoebe about it later.

"A word of advice before you leave? Know that anything you change in the past that you're not supposed to, can have a profound impact on the present and the future. The change you cause may not necessarily be for the better. You must trade very carefully," Arrazigal cautioned the brothers.

"What do you mean by 'change anything you're not supposed to'? Does that mean we _are_ supposed to change something else? Of course it does. Why else would you bother to send us back?" Chris asked rhetorically. Arrazigal smiled heartily.

"You always were the smart one," He commented simply.

"Can you at least tell us what it is that we're supposed to change?" Wyatt asked the angel of destiny.

"I'm sorry but I cannot tell you. It's against the rules. You must understand that I cannot influence any of your decisions in any way. Your own free will and your skill must determine whether or not you change the events of the past. My job is to provide opportunities for you to do the right thing. There are some things you must figure out on your own," Arrazigal responded. His last sentence gave Phoebe a flashback of the other Chris saying the exact same thing a couple of decades ago. She winced a little as the memory stung her like a rusty needle.

"Thanks! You've been a great help," Chris said sarcastically.

"I'm going with you two," Henry Jr. announced. He was sure that Wyatt was too protective when it came to his little kitten. He was likely to risk his life if Chris was in danger. Chris on the other hand with his inferiority complex always believed that Wyatt's wellbeing was more important than his own. As a result, he had always been willing to sacrifice himself to save his big brother. Chris had already done it before but none of the next generation charmed children knew about it. Henry Jr. knew that he was the only one in this situation who could keep both of them from doing something stupid.

"You will do no such thing," all the adults in the room said almost in unison. Arrazigal smiled.

"I understand the drive behind your eagerness to follow your brothers but your destiny lies here. These two will look after one another. Your skills and expertise are needed in this time," Arrazigal said as Wyatt and Chris nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about us Odie. We'll be fine," Chris used Junior's childhood nickname that he passionately disliked. As a child Chris and Junior's relationship was much like that of Garfield and Odie. Since Chris was the naughty kitten, Junior was naturally dubbed 'Odie'. Junior, of course, was not fond of the nickname and his sisters and cousins were the only ones who could call him Odie and get away with it. In fact on one occasion, some boy at the school dared to call him Odie and Henry Jr. had punched his lights out in response. Junior glared at his favorite cousin but didn't say anything.

"Please, be careful and take care of each other," Leo said to his sons before they stepped through the portal.

* * *

><p>"Hey there", Adam said as Penny opened the door. Every time he saw her, she looked more and more beautiful. Unwittingly he stared at her, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.<p>

"What? Is there something wrong?" Penny asked thinking there was something wrong with her appearance. She quickly turned around and ran her tongue over her teeth making sure there was nothing stuck in her perfect white teeth. Adam realized his stupidity and was feeling embarrassed by now.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to stare like that. It's just that, you look so beautiful…" Adam didn't finish his sentence. He didn't really have to. Penny blushed as she turned back to face the boy.

"It's OK. Just give me a minute. I'll be back," She said before running upstairs. Adam grabbed a soda from the fridge and settled himself on the couch as he waited for Penny. He knew that if Penny said she needed a minute, she meant at least fifteen. He turned on the television and started flicking through channels. He didn't even realize that there was someone else in the room.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" Reese asked the unsuspecting boy which made him spray a mouthful of soda on the coffee table.

"Oh for goodness' sake you scared me man!" Adam complained. Reese grabbed some paper towels from the kitchen and handed them to Adam who started wiping the coffee table.

"Well? How long?" Reese asked again.

"What? No! We're not dating. We're just friends. And what the hell are you doing here anyway?" Adam asked annoyed.

"I was here in the morning to meet Junior. I forgot my wallet so I came back to pick it up. But that is irrelevant. You haven't answered my question. How long?" Reese was persistent.

"You forgot your wallet? Don't you have pockets in your diaper?" Adam asked trying to avoid Reese's original question.

"Naked baby reference! That's original. But you are not going to dodge my question that easily. How long?" Reese asked again.

"I told you we're just friends," Adam was adamant. But the fact that he was avoiding eye contact told Reese a lot.

"Dude! I'm a cupid. I can sense that you two are attracted to each other. You are taking her out for a movie and dinner. Trust me. You are dating," Reese said patting Adam on the shoulder. Adam was about to make some sarcastic comment but before he could say anything, Reese picked up a book sitting on the table. With the slightest physical contact with the object, Reese was sucked into a vision. He pulled himself together within a minute but the oracle was sweating heavily and his breathing was labored. Whatever he had seen in his vision was terrible. This unnerved Adam greatly.

* * *

><p>Wyatt looked at the closing portal behind him with apprehension. As if reading his mine, Chris put a reassuring arm on his big brother's shoulder. Wyatt smiled at Chris. He was happy to have his little brother watching his back in this unfamiliar place. They were standing in the middle of a dense forest. Apparently it had rained quite a bit recently as implied by the damp earth and cloudy atmosphere. The brothers had no idea where they were but Wyatt was sure Chris had already begun to form some theories.<p>

"Any idea where we are?" Wyatt asked his brother. Chris was thoughtful for a moment before responding.

"I believe we're in India," Chris stated simply. Wyatt was astonished at the confidence his baby brother exhibited.

"How can you be so sure Sherlock?" Wyatt mocked his brother.

"Elementary, my dear Watson! We are in the Middle Ages that much Ari told us," Chris said but was interrupted by Wyatt.

"Ari? Since when do you call him Ari?" Wyatt asked. He didn't fully trust the angel of destiny yet.

"Angels of destinies have helped us before and so far he hasn't done anything to warrant our suspicion," Chris said but Wyatt interrupted again.

"Seriously? He lied to you about who he was," Wyatt asked.

"True. But you have to admit he had a good reason. Besides he was right. Let me give you a hypothetical scenario. Given our family, say you needed to go back in time before either one of us were born and change some event of the past. To that end, you need to get help from our parents or grandparents. Would you reveal your true identity to them or would you rather keep it a secret and try to accomplish your goal as a complete stranger?" Chris asked not realizing how close this 'hypothetical scenario' came to the actual events that happened during the year before his birth.

"I'm not sure," Wyatt responded. He had never given any real thought to time travel and paradoxes. He certainly didn't share his brother's enthusiasm on the topic. For some strange reason, Chris had always been enthralled by the topic of time travel. The possibility that changing a seemingly insignificant event in time could have a catastrophic effect on the future always fascinated him.

"Think about it. Let's put the 'future consequences' aside as they don't really apply to Ari's case. You have two clear options. Firstly, you can reveal your identity. Tell them who you are. They will either believe you or they will not. Knowing our family, if they believe you, they will try to protect you from any potential danger and possibly endanger themselves in the process. If they don't believe you, they would think you're a demon or a warlock trying to take them out. You need to try and get them to help you while they try to vanquish you. You still need to win their trust but with an added difficulty of overcoming their bias against you. On the other hand, if you keep your identity a secret, gaining their trust while keeping them safe might be a lot more easier," Chris explained. Wyatt still didn't seem convinced but he had no counter argument and decided to change the subject.

"I still don't trust him but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that particular topic. Back to our current predicament, how can you be so certain that we're in India?" Wyatt asked his little brother.

"We're here regarding the sword. So it goes without saying that we need to be some place where the civilization is advanced enough to forge such a sword. It's obviously summer time. If I remember anything from my botany classes, I would say these trees are tropical. So I would say we're somewhere closer to equator and not in Europe. I do not remember any references to such dense forests in Egypt or the Middle East so that leaves Central America and the Indian subcontinent," Chris explained his reasoning but was interrupted by Wyatt again.

"You thought of all that in past minute or so?" the blond witch asked incredulously.

"Actually I had thought of all this before you asked me the question," Chris said smugly. Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"And how did you narrow it down to India?" He asked.

"Well, I saw this," Chris said pointing to a spot on the wet ground. Wyatt looked at the rather large depression on the ground but failed to understand its significance. He looked at Chris with a questioning expression.

"That's an elephant's footprint. We're definitely in India," the half elder explained. Wyatt gave him a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Biology major. I paid attention in botany and zoology classes," Chris said raising his hand. Wyatt muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'show off'. Without another word the two men started looking for a way out of the jungle. Soon enough Wyatt's acute senses picked up on what appeared to be conversation between two men. They were speaking in some unknown language however and the witch-lighter couldn't comprehend a word.

"May be we can tap into our white-lighter ability to comprehend any language," Chris whispered to his brother.

"I've already tried. It didn't work. They're not our charges," Wyatt responded in a whisper.

"May be I can try to enhance our white-lighter side using my catalyst power. It's worth a try," Chris said. Wyatt nodded and held out his hand. Chris grabbed his brother's outstretched hand and concentrated. And it worked.

"… Put the stone back where you found it. I have already put the enchantment on it. The brothers must not suspect that the stone had been disturbed in any way. Do this and any debt you had with me will be considered paid in full. Fail to do it and I'll have you thrown off a cliff. Do you understand?" One of the voices said. The other one, a mere boy of about seventeen, just nodded.

"Good. After you are done, don't dare to mention this conversation to anyone. Or I will have my dogs shred your body to pieces," with that the to figures parted ways. Wyatt and Chris looked at each other. They had no doubt that the two were talking about 'the Equalizer'.

* * *

><p>"A car, it was about to hit Penny," Reese managed to say as he gasped for air. Adam's face went pale.<p>

"Did you see where? Or better yet, when?" Adam asked as he offered the oracle a glass of water. Reese gulped down the whole glass before speaking.

"She was wearing the same dress she is wearing today so I think it was today. I'm not sure where though. All the details are a bit fuzzy," Reese responded.

"Who died?" Penny's voice startled the two boys.

"That's not funny!" Adam hissed. Penny was a bit taken aback by the unexpected outburst that was rather uncharacteristic for Adam.

"I'm sorry. Reese just had a vision where you were about to be hit by a car. But I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry," Adam apologized. Penny on the other hand had already forgotten about Adam's outburst. She was more worried about Reese's vision.

"Are you sure it was today? Last time you got a vision it was like three days in advance," Penny inquired. Reese nodded affirmative.

"I don't think you should go out today. It's too dangerous," Reese said.

"What? You can't expect me to keep my life on hold like this every time you have a vision. Besides, now that we know what could happen, we'll be careful," Penny said not willing to change her plans.

"No! You are not going anywhere," Reese said crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well, the good thing is you're not my mom or my dad. So you really have no say in the matter," Penny responded grabbing Adam's hand and pulling him towards the door. Adam on the other hand seemed reluctant to follow her. He had been looking forward to this 'non date' for past week and wasn't too happy about the idea of staying home either but for him Penny's safety was always first priority. If staying home meant keeping her safe, he was willing to cancel their plans.

"I can get them here if you like. I'm sure they would agree with me," Reese deadpanned.

"You wouldn't dare," Penny said but already knew that she had lost the argument. Reese would call her parents in a heartbeat if it meant keeping her safe and she was certain that Paige and Henry Sr. would ground her if necessary. But she knew she had to try.

"Keep pushing me and I'll get Wy," Reese threatened. Penny knew that getting Wyatt involved was even worse since her parents would only prohibit her from going out today, Wyatt was more likely to follow her on her future dates. With a rather unhappy expression on her face, she sat down on the couch. She was waiting for Reese to teleport but he showed no signs of leaving.

"Don't tell me you are going to be my warden," Penny was clearly not happy.

"If you were in my place, would you trust you?" Reese asked. Penny had no response to that.

"How did you know it was Penny and not Patty? You said the details were fuzzy," Adam tried to change the subject.

"She was wearing the same dress and I got the vision when I touched her book," Reese responded. Penny's eyes widened.

"That's not my book. It's Patty's. And Patty has the exact same dress. It was a gift from grandpa Sam. We usually hate to wear the same outfit but we didn't want to break grandpa Sam's heart. And we both liked the dresses so we decided to keep them and agreed not to wear them at the same time. But Patty had left before I got home today. I'm not sure what she was wearing. Oh my god, it could be Patty!" Penny exclaimed as she realized her twin sister could be in danger.

"Where is she?" Adam asked.

"She has a date with Evan. Carv's brother," Penny said.

"Call her and warn her," Reese said and Penny moved to grab the phone. At the same moment the phone rang. All three skipped a heartbeat. Penny picked up the phone with a shaking hand.

* * *

><p>"Did you really hire a Phoenix to kill an innocent mortal?" Elder Jonnah asked Odin and Kheel disbelievingly.<p>

"The attack was inevitable. The oracle had a vision. The idea was to force Arrazigal to reveal his true identity to the Halliwells. And that part worked flawlessly. I just didn't count on 'the Catalyst' trusting him after what happened," Odin explained.

"But you endangered an innocent mortal in the process," Jonnah argued.

"Like I said the mortal was in danger regardless. We just made sure Arrazigal had to interfere and reveal himself. Besides the Halliwells are good at saving their innocents. It was a risk we had to take," Kheel explained. Jonnah didn't say another word but he was reevaluating his decision to support Odin and Kheel on the matter. Those two elders were on a slippery slope and were starting to sound more and more like Gideon.

* * *

><p>"Aunt Phoebe, how are you feeling?" Henry Jr. asked his talkative aunt when he found her alone in the attic after Chris and Wyatt's departure. Phoebe looked up at her nephew and smiled sweetly.<p>

"I'm fine sweetie. Why do you ask?" She inquired. Henry Jr. settled himself besides her as she put the book of shadows aside.

"It's nothing really. All of you look more worried than usual. I didn't ask aunt Piper because; she would never tell me if anything was bothering her. You know, being the almighty Halliwell matriarch and all. My mom would more likely make a joke or some sarcastic comment and avoid answering me. So I thought I would ask you," Junior said trying to gauge his aunt's reaction.

"We're just worried about Chris and Wy," Phoebe answered trying to keep her response as short as possible. It was hard for her to keep a secret but this was one secret she could not afford to divulge.

"But I cannot help but think that some of the things Arrazigal said meant more to you guys than they did to any of us. I mean it felt as if you guys were reading between the lines and we had no idea what was going on," Junior said curiously watching the changing expression on his aunt's face.

"It's nothing. We're just plain worried about those two. You know them well. There is no telling what kind of trouble those two would get themselves into. Parents are always worried about their children. Some day, when you have children, you will understand," Phoebe said trying very hard not to reveal one of the best-kept secrets in the Halliwell family. Henry Jr. knew for sure by now that his aunts and mom were keeping something from them. He was about to say something but Phoebe interrupted him.

"You don't need to worry about anything yet. You'll have enough things to worry about when you are older and have more responsibilities. You are still young. Just enjoy yourself while you still can. Speaking of enjoying your time, Coop was telling me about you and a certain beautiful gypsy girl…" Phoebe switched to a subject that made Henry Jr. blush. His reaction told her everything she wanted to know. After all she was someone who gave advice on finding love apart from being a witch with the gift of empathy. Junior realized that there was no way he could get anything else out of his aunt right now. He decided to end the conversation before she made him talk about Emily. Fortunately for him his cellphone rang at that very moment.

"Penny is calling me. I've to take this," Junior said as he pressed the accept button and walked out of the attic.

* * *

><p>Chris and Wyatt had already established that their powers, both white-lighter as well as Wiccan, worked in this time despite the fact that they would not be born for several centuries. Chris silently thanked Arrazigal for making sure of that. The two brothers were now having a heated argument regarding their future plan of action. Chris suggested that since both the men they observed earlier were somehow involved with the forging of the sword, both of them needed to be followed. Wyatt was, however, dead set against the idea of splitting. The two brothers were stronger together. Besides he would never agree to let his baby brother follow a potentially dangerous man alone.<p>

"It's the most logical thing to do. I'll follow the jewel stone hunter while you can tail his employer," Chris argued.

"Logical my ass", Wyatt cursed.

"Language, big brother," Chris warned him.

"Like you haven't heard me curse before. What you suggest is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. We're stronger together. We have to stick together. How can you even suggest that we split?" Wyatt was getting all worked up.

"It's the fastest way to get it over with. Sooner we find out what we're supposed to, sooner we go home," Chris argued.

"This is not a debate. We're not going to split and that's final. And if you even think of ditching me, I'll magically bind us together," Wyatt said in a way that didn't leave any room for argument. Chris was of course not happy about it but he knew he had to pick his battles. He was well aware of the fact that his over-protective big brother was crazy enough to act on his threat. So he decided to give in; at least for now. The two decided to follow the jewel stone hunter since most of the action was likely to be there.

"Don't you think we should glamor ourselves to look like the locals. We do not need to attract any undue attention to our presence," Wyatt said. Their white skin and twenty-first century clothing would have certainly made them look outlandish.

"We need a spell," Chris said with a thoughtful face.

In this place and in this hour

We call upon the ancient power

Alter our looks, accents and clothes

To match those of the indigenous folk

Chris chanted the spell and their bodies were enveloped in golden and white lights. When the lights dissipated, their appearance had changed. Both of them now had a nice tan. Chris's eyes turned greenish brown while Wyatt's eyes turned dark, almost black. Both of them were now wearing long white dhoti around their waist. Chris had a kind of white scarf around his neck that partially covered his torso while Wyatt was bare above the waist. A brilliant blue turban was wrapped around Chris's head while that of Wyatt was white. Chris's clothes appeared to be made out of silk while Wyatt's were cotton. Both men had some sort of amulets tied around their necks and biceps. They weren't sure if he amulets were magical and there was no real way to find out. Wyatt immediately began flexing and admiring his own physique. Chris rolled his eyes.

"We don't have time to indulge your narcissism. Can we get going please?" Chris asked his big brother. Wyatt pouted like a child being forced to leave his favorite game unfinished and being sent to bed by his mother. Wyatt reached for his backpack that now, thanks to Chris's spell, had turned into a burlap sac. Chris's eye caught glimpse of something glittering in Wyatt's sac.

"What's in there?" Chris asked suspiciously. Wyatt smiled sheepishly and pulled out the hilt of Excalibur. Chris's eyes widened.

"You brought Excalibur to the past? Are you out of your mind? Excalibur is an ancient sword. I'm sure there is another version of the sword somewhere out there," Chris's rambling reminded Wyatt of his aunt Paige.

"Relax kitten, the other version of Excalibur is somewhere in Europe. We're in India, thousands of miles away. We'll be fine. Besides we never know what kind of danger we might find ourselves into. That's why I orbed it to myself before we entered the portal. I wasn't even sure if our powers would work. I needed it to keep you safe," Wyatt explained.

"You're right. You did the right thing. I'm just a little on edge here. I cannot help but think of all the things that could go wrong and it makes me a bit anxious," Chris had calmed down considerably by now.

"Mom doesn't call you neurotic for no reason. But it's OK, little brother. I'm here to keep you sane," Wyatt said smugly. Chris glared at his big brother but didn't say anything. Soon enough the brothers caught up with the jewel hunter. The boy had a horse waiting for him at a short distance. Since Chris and Wyatt had no such mode of transportation at their disposal, they had no choice but to orb behind him.

* * *

><p>"Penny? Oh thank god I found you. You have to come to San Francisco General. Please. We were in an accident. He's hurt. Get Wy, Chris or someone to heal him. Please hurry…" Patty was talking too fast but Penny got the gist of her message. She was happy to know her twin sister was all right. But that probably meant Evan was not. Penny assumed her sister was referring to Evan when she said 'he's hurt'.<p>

"OK. Patty, calm down. We'll be there in just a moment. Are you at San Francisco General? Are you hurt at all? Good. Just stay put and we'll be there," Penny said before disconnecting the phone. Adam and Reese had gathered that Patty was apparently all right but someone else, probably Evan, was hurt.

"Is she alright?" Reese asked to make sure. Penny nodded affirmative as she called her big brother on his cellphone. She could have just yelled for him and he would have been able to hear her much faster but she wasn't thinking logically at the moment.

"Odie, you have to get to San Francisco General with mom and the aunts. Patty was in some kind of accident. I don't think she was hurt but I think Evan was. She needs us there. I'll get Carv and dad you get the rest of our family," Penny got everything out in one breath.

"We'll be there," Junior responded simply before disconnecting the phone. He had questions but he didn't think Penny had all the answers. So the only thing he could do right now was to get his mom and aunts and orb to San Francisco General. Within a few moments the Halliwells orbed to an ally nearby the hospital. They rushed to the reception and inquired about Patty and Evan.

"Hi. I'm looking for Patricia Halliwell and Evan Miller," Junior asked one of the clerks at the reception. The guy looked up at the blond boy for a moment before going back to the register on the desk.

"And you are?" The guy asked looking through the entries.

"I'm Patricia's brother," Junior answered.

"Miss Halliwell is in curtain area #2 down the hallway. I can only disclose information about Mr. Miller to his immediate family," the clerk responded. The sisters immediately headed towards the area indicated by the clerk.

"But he is my sister's boyfriend," Junior said; worried about Evan.

"I'm sorry. Next of kin only," the guy responded coldly.

"I'm his brother," came Carver's voice from behind who was immediately followed by Adam, Reese and Henry Sr. The clerk looked at Carver's ID before disclosing any information.

"Mr. Miller is being prepared for surgery right now. One of the doctors who treated him in the trauma will be with you shortly to give you all the details," the clerk informed the distraught brother and pointed him towards the waiting area.

"Can't you tell me anything more?" Carver pleaded. The clerk gave him learned sad smile as he shook his head. Carver slumped down on one of the chairs. Junior wanted to check on his little sister so Leo agreed to stay with his son's boyfriend.

"Oh sweetie, are you alright?" Paige asked her daughter as the family entered the curtain area. Patty smiled weakly and nodded her head.

"Just some minor scrapes. Nothing serious. But they wouldn't tell me about Evan. Is he OK?" Patty asked her family.

"We don't know dear. They would only talk to Carver about Evan's condition. But I'm sure he'll be fine. Can you tell us what happened?" Phoebe asked her niece in a calm and soothing voice.

"We were on our way to the movie when some idiot jumped the red light. We were crossing the street when Evan saw the car. He pushed me out of the way but it was too late for him. The car hit him. He was hurt badly. There was blood everywhere. Oh god…" Patty managed to say before she started sobbing uncontrollably. Paige pulled her into a hug and rubbed comforting circles on her back in an attempt to soothe her.

"I'm so sorry," Reese said as he approached Carver and sat besides him. Carver looked at him with a questioning glance.

"I had a vision. A car was about to hit Patty. At first I thought it was Penny. By the time we realized it was Patty, it was too late. We were about to call Patty and Evan to warn them when the phone rang. Evan got hurt trying to save Patty. I should have realized it was Patty and not Penny. If only I could have had the vision earlier…" Reese explained to Carver who interrupted him midsentence.

"Reese, listen to me. It's not your fault. You can't control when and how your visions occur. You thought it was about Penny. It was an honest mistake. I don't blame you for what happened, and neither should you. It was the driver's fault. Not yours," Carver assured Reese who was still feeling like a failure for not being able to interpret his visions correctly.

"Mr. Miller?" the doctor asked Carver. After waiting for about an hour and a half, a sudden surge of fear and anxiety passed through Carvers body as he heard his name being uttered. He stood up to face whatever news the man in scrubs had brought him.

"You are Mr. Evan Miller's brother. Is that correct?" the doctor asked. Carver could only nod affirmative.

"I'm Dr. Chase. I was the one who operated on your brother. The accident caused some minor injuries along with a broken arm. There was also considerable blood loss but we managed to stop the bleeding in time. We gave him blood transfusion," Dr. Chase paused for a moment waiting for the information to sink in.

"I'm more worried about the injury to his spine. There is some swelling in his spinal chord. We are trying to minimize the damage but there is no way of telling how much damage has already been done until he wakes up. There is a distinct possibility that your brother may be paralyzed from neck down," Dr. Chase broke the news to the distressed brother as compassionately as possible. Carver suddenly felt all the strength drain from his body as he slumped back in to the chair. Leo, being a doctor in his past life, began discussing Evan's condition with the doctor.

"Where the hell is Wy? Why is he not answering my call," Carver asked Reese. Right now he needed support of his boyfriend more than ever.

"He's not here," Reese whispered. Henry Jr. had filled him in on what had transpired at the manor. Carver frowned at Reese's response.

"What do you mean he's not here? Oh god, please tell me he's not in the underworld," Carver pleaded in a low voice making sure no one overheard him.

"He's not in the underworld. He's… in the past," Reese responded. The worry on Carver's face lessened with Reese's first sentence but increased ten folds as he heard the reason behind Wyatt's absence.

"What?" Carver managed to whisper as his face darkened with worry. Reese put a comforting arm on his shoulder as Carver buried his face in his palms.

* * *

><p>Wyatt and Chris followed the jewel hunter to a remote part of the jungle. In a clearing there was a small lake full of lotuses. In the middle of the lake, there was an ancient temple that appeared to be a monolith. It was flooded with the lake water and was clearly abandoned. The boy, whom Chris and Wyatt were following, jumped into the water and expertly swam across the lake towards the temple. The brothers found a large boulder at the lakeshore and watched the boy's actions curiously. As the boy reached the temple he took a deep breath and dived in the water. In less than a minute he resurfaced and started swimming towards the lakeshore. Wyatt and Chris assumed that he had placed the stone back in its place as instructed.<p>

"We should interrogate him," Wyatt said but Chris shook his head.

"I don't think that is going to accomplish anything. The boy seems too scared of his employer. The other guy has already ruthlessly threatened him. I don't think we, some strangers, are going to get any information out of him. On the contrary, he may report to his employer and tell him about us. We may end up in bigger trouble. He also mentioned 'the brothers' who will come looking for the stone. Lets wait for those mysterious 'brothers' and see what we can find out. Besides, our main concern is the forging of the sword," Chris said. Wyatt saw the logic in Chris's argument and agreed with him. The boy took his horse and left the place as quickly as he could. Wyatt and Chris were now into the most boring part of their mission, waiting.

"May be we should swim across the lake and have a look at the stone ourselves," Chris suggested.

"I think I will enjoy swimming in this hot and humid weather," Wyatt agreed and the two brothers approached the lake. Chris however, was now having second thoughts about jumping in the water by now. The lake was rather murky and there was no telling what kind of aquatic life might be lurking underneath. Wyatt on the other hand had already removed his turban and jumped in the water.

"Oh come on Chris. The water is actually quite nice," Wyatt encouraged his baby brother.

"Oh god, the sadhu was right. They are our mirror images," Chris was startled by his own voice and turned around quickly. Sure enough there they stood. Splitting images of himself and his brother. The sight stunned Wyatt. The two men who approached them were perfect replicas of them. Chris quickly realized that he was looking at their past lives.

"A sadhu peeked our future and told us a few days ago that we will meet our mirror images and after that our destiny will become clearer. My name is Avanijanashray and this is my big brother Jayasimhavarman," Chris's past life introduced himself and Wyatt's past life. Possibly for the first time in his life Chris found himself speechless.

"Wow. Those are some difficult names. I'm not sure if I can pronounce them. May be I can call you Avani and Jay," Wyatt said as he walked out of the lake.

"Avani is a girl's name," Avanijanashray said with narrowed eyes.

"Of course. How about we call you Avi?" Chris had found his voice by now.

"That will work as long as you tell us your names," Avi said.

"Yes. Where are my manners? My name is Chris and this is my big brother Wyatt," Chris said offering a hand to shake. But Avi and Jay looked at the two with confused expressions. They had no idea how to respond to an outstretched hand.

"Give us a moment please," Wyatt said as he grabbed Chris by the arm and pulled him aside.

"We don't know the local traditions. May be we should just tell them that we're from a far away land", Wyatt suggested.

"We got the looks. We know the language and we wear the local clothes. It'll be difficult to explain why we don't know the local traditions. We never learned the local customs. We need a spell and fast. Let me think…" Chris said before he started rhyming.

In this foreign land

We seek a helping hand

Not to be caught out at every turn

Native traditions now we learn

Sure enough, the spell worked. Wyatt was amazed at his little brother's ability to come up with working spells just in the nick of time. Now armed with the through knowledge of local mannerisms, Chris and Wyatt approached their respective past lives and gave them a friendly hug. Then Chris and Avi touched Jay and Wyatt's feet and the older men bestowed their blessings upon the younger men.

"So you are here to help us with the forging of the sword, yes?" Jay asked the Halliwell brothers.

"Yes. That is exactly why we're here," Wyatt agreed a bit too quickly. Chris on the other hand wanted more information.

"Before we agree to help you, however, we would like to know more about this sword and exactly what it is that you expect from us," Chris insisted.

"Of course. But lets first acquire the shadow stone from the temple. After all that's why we came all the way here," Avi said as he gestured his brother. Jay much like Wyatt was only too eager to get into the water.

"I'll help you," Wyatt offered and jumped into the water followed by Jay. The two men swam all the way to the temple to retrieve the stone while Avi told Chris about the sword.

"My brother is a skilled sword smith. One day, a sadhu appeared at our doorstep and gave him a strange chunk of metal. The metal was not like anything we've come across in our whole lives. The sadhu instructed Jay to forge a formidable sword using that metal for our beloved prince who will use it to defeat a great evil. My brother agreed and began his work. Soon, however, he realized that the metal could not be worked with our ordinary tools. The sadhu soon reappeared and told us about the shadow stone. He also told us about our identical yet far more powerful mirror images, that would be you two, who will help us forge the sword," Avi told Chris. Chris had started to realize that him and Wyatt had always been instrumental in forging of 'the Equalizer'. That was probably the reason Ari had sent them to the past.

After the four of them returned to Jay's workshop, Wyatt examined the partially forged sword. Although Wyatt had no experience in forging swords, as a part of his job, he had considerable experience working metal. He quickly realized that the metal was actually a chunk of twenty-first century high-grade carbon steel. Someone must have gone through a lot of trouble getting it to the past. In order to work the metal into a sword modern day tools were needed. With the help of another one of Chris's spells, Wyatt was able to conjure some of the tools and helped the ancient sword smith forge the formidable sword. Jay was looking at the tools like a child looking at toys. Within a few hours, with Wyatt's modern day knowledge and Jay's skill, they were able to finish the sword. The only thing that remained was to fit the shadow stone in the hilt of the blade.

"Damn it. It won't fit," Jay cursed. Their measurements were accurate and they expected the shadow stone to fit in its socket like a puzzle piece. But for some reason it didn't.

"The stone is glowing a bit. The aura is almost tangible. It is as if the glow becomes physical as soon as it touches the sword and prevents the stone from fitting in its socket. We might need magical force to fit it into its proper place," Chris observed. Suddenly He had a crazy Idea. He looked at Wyatt with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Wy! Excalibur!" Chris exclaimed. Wyatt immediately understood where Chris was going with that line of thought. He put the stone on the socket in the sword and pulled out Excalibur from his sac. Jay and Avi were astonished to see the brilliant craftsmanship. With a well-aimed strike from Excalibur, the shadow stone snapped into its place on the hilt of the Equalizer. The newly forged sword glowed with the aura of the shadow stone. All four of the men were too excited. Wyatt hugged Chris and the two brothers childishly jumped up and down to celebrate their success. An odd tradition the brothers followed whenever they had achieved something significant. In all their excitement none of them realized when a demon shimmered into Jay's workshop and approached the sword.

"Who're you?" Avi was the first one to notice the stranger. Wyatt and Chris realized that it was the same man who had employed the stone hunter at the beginning of their journey. Chris silently cursed himself for not realizing the fact that the man was a demon.

"You did well. It's ironic really; the weapon that was supposed to destroy me now belongs to me," the Demon said picking up the weapon. He slowly approached Avi with the sword and smiled wickedly.

"And now I'm going to make it even more powerful. You see; I have put an enchantment on the shadow stone that allows me to trap a powerful soul within it. Avanijanashray, is it? The purity of your soul will make my sword the most formidable weapon in the whole world," the demon said, as he was about to plunge the sword in Avi's chest. Wyatt was alert however and used his telekinesis to throw the demon back. Avi was as much his brother as Chris was. In a manner of speaking, the two were the same after all. The demon was surprised at Wyatt's attack. He wasn't expecting to face a powerful witch like Wyatt. He grabbed the sword and shimmered out.

"Wy?" The twice-blessed witch heard his brother's scared cry. He quickly turned to face his baby brother. To his shock, Chris was fading away. Wyatt desperately ran to his vanishing brother and grabbed his hand tightly. But that gesture didn't work and Chris vanished into thin air within moments. Their ever-present brotherly connection was suddenly snapped close. An emptiness filled Wyatt's heart, a loneliness he had never felt before. The mighty twice blessed witch collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the fifth chapter. <strong>

**Kindly read and review.**


	7. Reshuffling

**Author's Notes: **This chapter is slightly more complicated as it contains more time travel and future consequences of past actions. Basically the idea is that, in the last chapter, Wyatt and Chris changed the past. That cause the future to change in a way they didn't anticipate. The battle with Turel is narrated again since it now has a different outcome. The Halliwell boys now need to fix the past in order to change the present and save the future.

I have tried to explain the key moments in this chapter in detail. If there are any discrepancies/confusions kindly let me know through reviews. I'll fix/try to elaborate them in the next chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Reshuffling<strong>

"Don't worry Carver. We're going to fix this. We have simply too many white-lighters in our family to let anything bad happen to Evan. We'll find a way to heal him," Henry Jr. reassured the broken man. Evan had been admitted to the ICU after his surgery and there had been no change in his condition. The visitor hours were over and all the Halliwells had gathered back at the manor.

"I'm not sure if it's that simple," Leo said with a gloomy face. Everyone looked at him with questioning glances.

"Guys, this wasn't a demonic attack, at least not that we know of. I don't think the elders will let any of the witch-lighters heal Evan. I hate to even think like this but it may be in Evan's best interest to let the doctors treat him for now. Magical healing at this time could cause more problems than solutions," Leo explained.

"Screw the elders. All they have done so far is make our lives difficult. Besides, don't you remember what the angel of destiny said? There was a reason I had to stay behind and not go with Chris…" Junior's ranting stopped abruptly as a sudden feeling of overwhelming grief came over the entire family. It felt like an earthquake except nothing was actually quaking. The witches and mortals alike clutched their heads in pain as their memories were being rewritten.

* * *

><p>Wyatt was inconsolable. As long as he could remember, he had always been able to sense his baby brother. Wyatt had been an only child for first two years of his life so in the beginning he hated the fact that his little brother was getting all the attention from his parents and his aunts. Suddenly he was supposed to be a big brother and look out for this annoying new arrival. But slowly and surely he got used to it. This bond worked both ways. Even as an infant, Chris could sense his big brother. In fact as a toddler, Chris seemed to be less fussy, calm and generally happier whenever he could sense his big brother nearby. The presence of his big brother gave the brunette kid a sense of safety. This had prompted Piper to let her boys share a room for many years. As the two boys grew up together, they learned to offer comfort and support to one another through their bond. Piper was initially worried that sharing the room may trigger the old sibling rivalry between the two but it only helped strengthen the bond. Of course Chris and Wyatt fought occasionally like any normal brothers but those fights didn't last more than a day. They always reconciled. Whenever Chris felt scared or anxious, sensing the presence of his big brother would help him relax. Wyatt liked the feeling of being needed by his baby brother and it also gave him a sense of responsibility.<p>

But now it was all gone. A sudden feeling of loneliness came over the twice-blessed witch. Avi and Jay didn't know how to comfort the devastated man. Jay could only imagine Wyatt's pain. He didn't know how he would cope if something happened to Avi. The event had struck Avi as well, as he had just witnessed his mirror image vanish in thin air. The worst part of it all was that they had no idea why this had happened. Jay knelt down besides Wyatt and began rubbing comforting circles on his back. Avi pulled Wyatt in a hug. The blond witch-lighter stiffened a little bit. He needed a hug from his baby brother not his past life.

"It's OK. We're going to find him. You hear me? You need to pull yourself together. The sadhu told us that you and your brother are very powerful. You need to focus that power into finding your baby brother. You cannot give up. You have to fight. I have to admit that I don't know you two too well but my gut says this is what your brother would want you to do. He would hate to see his powerful big brother so broken and incapacitated," Avi attempted to encourage Wyatt to fight. As soon as Wyatt heard his words, he relaxed. Avi held on to him offering support. This is exactly how Chris would have acted. Then again, Wyatt should not be surprised as Avi and Chris were fundamentally the same person.

"You're right. And you do know my brother and me better than you think. You two are more alike than you realize. In some twisted way, I haven't really lost my brother, not yet any way. I'm going to fix it, even if it cost me my life", Wyatt said with determination. A smile spread across Avi and Jay's faces.

"That's the spirit. Now what is the plan of action? That demon, as you called him, has the sword and we need to get it back. But that is of lesser importance right now. Our first priority is to get your brother back. But somehow, I think, our two tasks are related. Do you know what the demon meant by taking Avi's soul?" Jay asked Wyatt a little worried. He didn't like the idea of some evil creature coming after his little brother one bit. No matter from what time, Wyatt would always be fiercely protective about his little brother. Wyatt thought for a moment.

"At times like these I wish I had been more like my little brother. Let me start from the beginning. Do you guys believe in death and rebirth?" Wyatt asked. The two brothers nodded.

"The concepts of cycle of life and karma are fundamental to our philosophy," Avi answered.

"Well, me and my brother Chris are Jay and your future lives. After we came to know about the sword's existence, my brother did a little research. According to the texts, someone pure of heart willingly sacrificed himself in this time. His soul was trapped in the sword; apparently due to the enchantment the demon had put on the shadow stone. The sword draws its power from this trapped soul. In the future, a demon attacked my brother with the same sword. But as soon as it struck Chris, it shattered as if it was made out of glass. After that; an extremely powerful being sent us back in time to witness forging of the sword," Wyatt explained.

"Does that mean I was supposed to die today? Why would the demon think I was the one to give his life? I mean…" Avi started to talk but Wyatt cut him off midsentence.

"You're not going to die. You can't be the one. Like I said, you are my brother's past life. If you were the one to be trapped in the sword, my brother would never have been born. Or will never… Oh, this is giving me a headache. The point being, you're not going to die," Wyatt tried to explain.

"All I was going to say was that I think the demon made a mistake; because I'm not that pure of heart. I have a dark side too, you know," Avi claimed. Jay rolled his eyes.

"Of course you do. But I'm not willing to test that claim. If the demon is after you, my job is to protect you no matter what. If it hadn't been for our friend here, you would have already been dead," Jay said.

"Alright! So what do we do now?" Avi asked. Wyatt thought for a moment before responding. His little brother had always been the brain behind their team. Leo often compared Wyatt to a mighty battle ship with all the firepower, while Chris was the navigation system. Without his little brother Wyatt felt lost. But he didn't have a choice anymore. He had to find a way to get his kitten back and fast.

"We need a spell. My brother and I are magical. I can cast a spell to figure out what happened to Chris. The problem is that my spells usually backfire. Chrissie is the one who usually comes up with brilliant spells. So I'm going to need your help," Wyatt told Avi and Jay. The three began brainstorming and not surprisingly, Avi came up with the rhyme that could work. Wyatt went over the spell a few times to make sure before he chanted it.

The emptiness now fills my soul

Loneliness I haven't felt before

I seek information about my kin

Those who have it, bring them in

Sure enough the spell worked. Golden swirls appeared before the golden haired witch before materializing into an image of a man.

* * *

><p>The fact that Wyatt saved Avi from being stabbed by the demon in the past had a profound impact on the present. The battle with Turel had a terrible outcome.<p>

"No! Leave him alone," Piper roared. Wyatt let loose enormous bursts of energy towards the demon as a desperate try to take him out and save his little brother. The sheer magnitude of the energy wave might have been enough to take out the source but Turel was still standing. Wyatt on the other hand had spent too much power and as a consequence, collapsed. Henry Jr. quickly moved closer and supported his cousin and tried to keep him on his feet.

"This is the sweetest irony in all of this. The weapon that was supposed to make _you_ invincible, is now going to take your life," Turel said as he struck Chris with the sword. Chris glared at his murderer with a stone cold face, not willing to give Turel the satisfaction of seeing the pain, fear, anger and frustration he was feeling at the moment. Piper did something extreme out of her desperation. She knew that she could not blast Turel and the demon had Chris firmly in his grasp and could not orb out on his own. She made a difficult decision and blasted her youngest child.

"Bloody hell!" Henry Jr. exclaimed as he witnessed the unthinkable happen. His aunt Piper blasted her precious little peanut. Just as the sword was about to strike Chris, his body disintegrated into thousands of tiny lights. Turel was momentarily confused and that instant of uncertainty was enough for Chris who promptly got away from Turel. Wyatt had regained his footing by now and sent another energy blast towards the demon. Chris had reformed near the kitchen door as far away from Turel as possible. Having his body tattered into tiny pieces hurt like hell but at least he was still alive. Wyatt knew his attack was not going to hurt the demon but at least it would distract him a little bit and hopefully give Chris a moment to think and come up with a plan. Turel, however, quickly shimmered out of the way of the energy blast. The Halliwells were surprised, as it was highly unlikely for a demon to retreat from a battle he was clearly winning. Within moments Turel shimmered back in right behind Chris. The half elder sensed the ripple behind him but before he could react, he felt a sharp pain in his back. Chris let out a gasp and the Halliwells watched in horror as Turel pulled the Equilizer out of Chris's body.

"My condolences!" the demon said before he shimmered out. Wyatt rushed towards his fallen brother and fell to his knees. He put one hand on the wound on Chris's back where the sword entered and another hand on his chest from where the sword exited. He waited desperately for the golden glow to appear but it never did. He felt Arrazigal's hand on his shoulder.

"The wound due to Equalizer just like Excalibur cannot be healed," He said softly.

"No! No! You have to do something. You said you wouldn't risk his life. You have to save him. You are an angel of destiny. Now change his destiny," Wyatt screamed at Arrazigal and resumed his attempts to heal his baby brother. The whole family was around them by now. Paige and Henry Jr. joined Wyatt in his attempts but it was of no use. The life was extinguished from the half elder's eyes. He was gone.

* * *

><p>"I suppose I was worried for no reason," Kheel said as he observed the demise of the mighty catalyst. With Chris's death, the power of two was broken. Although Wyatt was too powerful on his own, the elders were confident they could handle him. Chris had always been a bit of a wild card. He had little respect for any of the elder's rules and regulations. The elders were never truly able to control Chris's actions in either of the timelines and they weren't very happy about it.<p>

"If only we could get rid of the 'scion of balance' that easily. I mean, he is still down there, trying to convince Wyatt to time travel and fix this situation. We must stop Wyatt from going back in time to save his brother," Odin observed.

"But what if the angel of destiny is right? What if, by allowing Christopher to die, we make things worse?" Elder Jonnah asked Odin. He was not entirely convinced that Odin's suggestion was for the best.

"How could it possibly be worse? If we allow Christopher to live, the brothers will become too powerful and we will loose what little control we have over the Halliwells. We're the paragons of goodness. We must remain powerful and in control. And for that to happen, Christopher must remain dead," Odin was adamant and Kheel nodded in agreement. Jonnah knew he couldn't convince the other two not to interfere so he remained silent. He had decided to talk to Roland and Sandra about it though.

* * *

><p>"You! You are going to explain to us just what the hell happened here," Phoebe's voice was dangerously low as she addressed Arrazigal. The angel of destiny was thoughtful for a moment. He realized that Wyatt and Chris on the past had changed something that should not have been changed. The timeline had changed and the events in the presents had reshuffled themselves to accommodate the changes in order to avoid a paradox. Which meant he had to make sure the Wyatt of the changed time line goes back in time to save his little brother.<p>

"Your nephew is a time spanning soul. His two halves were supposed to be reunited. Something went wrong in the past that has changed the present," Arrazigal responded rather cryptically. Piper and Leo were stunned with what just had happened. They stared at the lifeless body of their youngest son. It was as if their brain refused to process what just had happened in order to save them the pain. The tears and pain in Wyatt's eyes were replaced with murderous rage. He stared at the angel of destiny accusingly. In his opinion it was all Arrazigal's fault. After all, he was the one to release Turel from the purgatory.

"You are the only one who can fix this," Arrazigal told Wyatt before the twice blessed witch could lash out. Phoebe and Paige wiped their tears and looked at Arrazigal, frown firmly in place.

"Do you really think I'm going to trust you after what you pulled? These were your machinations that cost my brother his life. We should have never trusted you. You are just like every other 'angel'. Manipulative bastards! You don't care if someone lives or dies," Wyatt hissed. Arrazigal's face was calm as ever.

"Listen to me. 'The Catalyst' is far too important for the future of the world. This had to happen so that you could go back to the past and do what needs to be done," Arrazigal said calmly. Wyatt suddenly lost it and attacked the angel of destiny. Junior was alert however and quickly grabbed Wyatt's hand. Wyatt looked at him with surprise and a touch of disappointment.

"We need to talk," Junior said as he led a shocked Wyatt to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>A man wearing dark grey robes was standing in front of Wyatt, Avi and Jay. He had a kind of smile on his face that was reassuring and condescending at the same time. He extended his hand before introducing himself.<p>

"Hello Wyatt, my name is Clarence. Nice to meet you," the man said. Wyatt shook his hand but his suspicion was evident in his eyes.

"Who are you? What do you know about my brother?" Wyatt asked.

"I think you already know who I am. I'm an angel of death. And your brother is currently with me in the limbo," Clarence explained. Wyatt's face darkened. At the back of his mind he always knew that his kitten was gone but he didn't want to admit it.

"Why..." was the only word Wyatt could utter. He felt Avi's reassuring hand on his shoulder. Clarence smiled.

"I do not know why your brother died. It wasn't his time to die, yet. It is my understanding that you two changed something here in the past that caused unforeseen and unfortunate incidents to occur in the future," Clarence clarified.

"Why would my spell bring you here if you didn't know exactly what went wrong?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"Your spell was worded to bring someone to you who knew where your brother is. And that's me. If you want to know what went wrong, you need to ask the one who sent you back in the first place," Clarence responded.

"How did you know we're from the future?" Wyatt asked with slight hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Death exists beyond time and space. Besides this isn't the first time I've been assigned to take care of your brother," Clarence said with a kind smile. This answer confused Wyatt further but right now he had more important things to worry about. If he was going to find some answers, he had to return to his own time, at least briefly.

"How do I get back to the future?" Wyatt asked.

"You can't. Not until you have finished your task. But you can summon the one who orchestrated all of this. You need to cast a 'power of two' spell to do it," Clarence answered very simply.

"So basically I'm screwed. I can't cast power of two spells without Chris and as such cannot summon Arrazigal to save him. Talk about bootstrapping!" Wyatt said in frustration.

"Not quite. You have another version of the power of two. The one from this time and space," Clarence said gesturing towards Avi and Jay. The two brothers seemed more confused than Wyatt.

"But they're not magical," Wyatt argued.

"You and your brother have always been very powerful magical beings, not nearly as powerful as the twice blessed and the Catalyst together but powerful nonetheless. They just don't know it yet," Clarence said.

"So they could cast the spell to summon Arrazigal," Wyatt realized.

"Indeed. I need to get back to your brother now. Don't worry; I'll take good care of him till the time you fix this mess. And incidentally, good luck," Clarence said before disappearing into golden lights that brought him there in the first place. Wyatt had a few more questions for the angel of death regarding his brother but the angel was gone before Wyatt had a chance to protest. At least he had a clear path in front of him now. The three men had another brainstorming session and once again Avi came up with the rhyme.

To save our friend from a dreaded fate

And bring him back before it's too late

Future without him is dreary and bleak

The scion of balance is the one we seek

Unfortunately nothing happened. Wyatt quickly realized that the power of two in this time had never been constituted. As such, Avi and Jay were unable to cast the summoning spell. But this also meant they had never used their powers and that with some luck Wyatt might be able to tap into it, at least in theory. He decided to try that approach by changing the wording a little bit. He held Avi and Jay's hands and then instructed the brothers to keep an open mind and concentrate in order to ease his job. Wyatt chanted the spell and waited in anticipation.

To save my kin from his dreaded fate

And bring him back before it's too late

Future without him is dreary and bleak

The scion of balance is the one I seek

It still didn't work. This was getting increasingly frustrating. Within a minute, however, the wall on the far side began to glow and a portal opened up. Wyatt couldn't be sure if the portal opened in response to his spell or some other sinister force was at work here. He braced himself ready to blast anything even remotely hostile that walks through the portal.

* * *

><p>"Are you out of your mind? He's the reason Chrissie is dead. And you want me to trust him? I can't believe my ears. How can you take his side?" Wyatt was scolding Junior in a hushed voice after the younger witch had suggested that Wyatt should consider Arrazigal's plan to time travel.<p>

"Think about it Wy. Chrissie is dead. I'm sure it wasn't his destiny to die today but he did…" Junior said but Wyatt cut him off midsentence.

"Because of him…" Wyatt hissed pointing at Arrazigal in the other room.

"Wyatt. Angels of destinies are the most powerful beings the charmed ones have encountered so far. He's their leader. He is powerful beyond our wildest imagination…" Junior said but Wyatt interrupted again.

"I don't care. He is responsible for Chris's death," Wyatt said, tears in his eyes.

"That is besides the point. In our current situation, he is the only one who can help us bring Chrissie back. Think about it, Wy. Not all the elders are on our side. I can't prove it to you but my gut is telling me that we're missing some vital piece of information here. There is more to Chris's death than meets the eye. If we are to get Chris back, we have to travel back in time. Arrazigal can help us do that," Henry Jr. said.

"We don't need him for that. Halliwell magic is powerful enough to send me back in time to save my little brother," Wyatt was still not convinced.

"May be but we wouldn't know exactly when to go back to. The demon was pretty much invincible. So there is no point in going back to a time when Turel had already acquired the sword. I hate to admit it but Arrazigal seems to know a lot more than we do," Junior said reasonably. Wyatt was confused. He could see the point Junior was trying to make yet; he couldn't bring himself to rely on Arrazigal.

"He's right. You need Arrazigal on your side," Roland said as he materialized through orbs. Wyatt frowned. He knew Roland was on their side but, like his mother, he disliked the elders in general.

"I cannot stay for long and I have taken a huge risk in coming here. So you have to listen to me. Some of the other elders are planning to interfere should you decide to travel back through time. They want Chris to remain dead and they would do anything to stop you from saving him. Keep these amulets with you. They will help you in your darkest hour but make sure Arrazigal doesn't see these," Roland said in a hurry as he handed Wyatt and Henry Jr. two amulets.

"Does that mean I get to go too?" Junior asked incredulously.

"Wyatt is going to need all the help he can get. Be safe," Roland said before orbing out in a hurry. Wyatt and Junior rolled up their sleeves and tied the amulets around their biceps before heading out to see Arrazigal.

* * *

><p>Chris had woken up to find himself in a rather nice bed inside what appeared to be a cottage. The place was nice and warm. At least he thought it was warm, as he couldn't exactly feel the warmth or the coldness. It was quiet and the only sound he could hear was the crackling sound of burning wood in the fireplace. Although the cottage was nice enough, there was nothing extraordinary about it. Chris searched the place for clues as to where he was or what he was doing here. He found nothing helpful. Chris decided to step out and investigate the surrounding area. He opened the wooden door and realized that it was snowing outside. And that he couldn't feel the cold.<p>

"Of course! I'm dead, aren't I?" Chris asked himself. He couldn't exactly remember the events that led to his death. All his recent memories were a bit fuzzy. He decided to walk around the place to see if someone else was there. Few pine and maple trees surrounded the cottage. The maple trees were leafless while the pine trees were still green underneath the snow that covered most of their branches.

The place reminded him of a small musical snow globe he used to have as a child. It was a Christmas gift from his big brother. Wyatt was ten when Leo had finally given in to the pressure from the younger faculty members of the magic school and decided to computerize the administration. Wyatt had taught his technologically challenged father to use the computer to supervise the everyday activities at the school. Leo seized this opportunity to teach his oldest the value of hard earned money and decided to pay him a small allowance. Wyatt had saved this money to buy Chris that snow globe. Unfortunately, he was some fifteen dollars short. Wyatt wouldn't give up though. He made a deal with his mom. It was decided that Wyatt would help her clean the attic, the basement and rake the leaves for a week and in return Piper would cover the fifteen dollars difference. Chris smiled a little as he remembered the story. Wyatt was as persistent as their father when it came to his baby brother's happiness. Chris was sure that even now Wyatt was moving heaven and earth to get him back.

* * *

><p>"I will move heaven and earth to get my brother back. And anyone who stands in my way shall fall, including you," Wyatt told Arrazigal dangerously. Wyatt was expecting Arrazigal to threaten him in return, make a spectacle of his unimaginable power or something like that. But the angel of destiny smiled.<p>

"It's a good thing then that I'm not in your way. I only want to help," the scion of balance said amiably. Wyatt didn't know how to respond to that. Piper and Leo had, by now, recovered from their shocked state. Piper had collapsed near Chris's body and had his head in her lap. She was silently weeping for her lost child. Leo's pain was unimaginable. Some twenty two year old wounds had reopened. Paige was probably the only one in the room who truly understood his pain.

"Are you two ready?" Arrazigal said.

"No! First tell us what it is that we're supposed to change," Henry Jr. inquired.

"I cannot tell you what to do. Your decisions must be a product of your own free will. Just keep in mind that Christopher is a time spanning soul. The two halves of his soul were supposed to be reunited today. But for something to reunite, it has to be set asunder to begin with. You will need to make some tough decisions, some choices you may find counterintuitive. But they are a necessary evil," Arrazigal's response was cryptic. The wave of his hand opened a portal. Although Wyatt and Junior had tied the amulets given to them by Roland under their shirtsleeves, they didn't go unnoticed by the angel of destiny.

"So. They decided to interfere despite my warnings, did they? No matter, this will teach them a lesson," Arrazigal muttered to himself as he narrowed his eyes. Wyatt and Junior didn't notice the fact that their amulets glowed for a moment.

"Are you sending them back through time? I'm not letting my son and nephew step through any portal without knowing where they are going to land," Paige warned. Arrazigal smiled.

"Don't worry mom. We'll be fine. Besides we need to get Chris back and there is no other way to do it. You know that," Junior assured his mother. She knew there was no other way to get Chris back but she was a mother. It was her job to worry.

"Please, be careful and take care of each other," Leo said to his son and nephew before they stepped through the portal.

* * *

><p>Golden lights swirled around Roland as his face and appearance changed into that of Odin. A smile appeared on Kheel's face.<p>

"I take it that you were successful. But tell me one thing, why did you need to glamor to look like Roland?" Kheel asked Odin. A smug smile appeared on Odin's face.

"I knew Roland and his followers are secretly helping the witches. This way I hit two birds with one stone. The amulets will interfere with the portal and make sure they don't reach the appropriate time period. And when things don't work out, the Halliwells will blame Rolland," Odin explained his plan.

"And how could you be sure that they wouldn't show Arrazigal the amulets?" Kheel asked again.

"Because they mistrust Arrazigal as much as they mistrust us; especially the twice blessed. After all, he blames Arrazigal for his beloved brother's death," Odin explained. Both the elders were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't realize when a portal opened beneath their feet. By the time they realized what was going on, it was too late. The portal sucked them in, orbs and all.

* * *

><p>Patty couldn't be happier. She first met Evan at Carver's birthday celebration. Although Wyatt and Carver were together for a few years, none of the Halliwells had met his little brother before. Evan had moved to Illinois for higher education some six years ago. He had recently finished his master's degree from UIUC and moved back to California in search for a job. Although he was about half a decade older than her, Patty liked him instantly and did everything in her power to make him notice her. And surely he asked her out. They had been going out for a few months and she was certain that she was falling for him.<p>

"I love… the weather today," Patty recovered quickly as they were finishing their food. Evan smiled and agreed with her. He asked the waiter for the check. Patty's phone rang and she glanced at the screen. It was the manor. It couldn't be an emergency. Chris or Wyatt would have simply crashed her date if they needed her that badly. She decided to ignore it.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Evan asked as he waited for the waiter to run his credit card and bring the receipt for his signature.

"It's someone at the manor. It can wait. I'm sure its nothing urgent," Patty said rather indifferently. She didn't want any interruptions in her date with Evan.

"Are you sure? You know, it could be a demon…stration," Evan quickly recovered as he saw the waiter standing besides the table holding his card and the receipt. He quickly signed the receipt and the two walked out. Patty's phone rang again.

"Aghh! Why can't they leave me alone for just a little while?" Patty exclaimed in frustration.

"I think you better get that. They're not going to stop calling you it seems," Evan observed. Patty touched the 'Accept' button on the touch screen. The two began walking towards the road with an intension to cross it. Patty suddenly stopped dead in her track just before entering the street.

"What?" She exclaimed. Evan was a step ahead but quickly turned around as soon as he heard the distress in Patty's voice. At the very moment, a car that jumped a red light whizzed past him. It missed him by mere inches. Evan almost lost his balance but recovered his footing quickly.

"Jackass! You're going to run someone over," Evan cursed as he saw the car that had almost killed him turn at the next corner. Little did he know that if Patty hadn't got the call from the manor, he really would have been that 'someone'. He turned to look at Patty who suddenly seemed broken and devastated. She was crying silently as she heard the voice on the phone. Tears were running down her cheeks. In another moment however, she pulled herself together and grabbed Evan's arm and pulled him into a nearby ally.

"We need to go to the manor. Now", she declared and before Evan could utter another word, she orbed them away.

* * *

><p>The portal on the wall of Jay's workshop flickered for a moment and two figures stepped out. Wyatt almost blasted one of them before he realized it was his little cousin, Henry Jr. His jaw dropped as he witnessed three versions of his big cousin, one from the past and two from the two alternate futures.<p>

"I need a drink if I'm supposed to deal with the three of you!" Junior stated matter-of-factly.

"You're not old enough", said the two future Wyatts in unison. Before they knew what was happening, some formidable yet invisible force pulled the two Wyatts towards each other. The two bodies instantly merged and a unified Wyatt was standing in the middle of the workshop. He clutched his head momentarily as if he was in extreme pain. The two timelines had merged and Wyatt's memories were being reassembled. Within moments Wyatt was back to normal. He was now equipped with knowledge from both the timelines.

"You were right!" Wyatt admitted to his little cousin who looked utterly confused.

"Remind me again. What am I right about?" He asked incredulously.

"We were missing a vital piece of information. I now remember what it is!" Wyatt sounded excited.

"Did your spell work? Is that the 'Scion of Balance' you speak of? Although he looks a hell of a lot like our little brother," Avi asked Wyatt pointing at Henry Jr.

"What? No! I'm… You could say I'm their brother," Henry Jr. said realizing the fact the two men standing in front of him, who looked a lot like his cousins, were in fact their past lives. And their little brother was probably his own past life.

"Yes. And he's here to help us. But first, we need to change his appearance," Wyatt observed. His little cousin, with his pale skin and golden hair would look truly outlandish in this place and time. Wyatt attempted to remember the spell Chris had come up with but he couldn't. Junior realized what Wyatt was planning to do and raised his hands defensively.

"If you think I'm letting _you_ cast a spell on me, you are truly delusional! I'll come up with the spell myself, thank you very much!" Junior was terrified of the potential backfire of Wyatt's spell.

"Don't worry, peanut came up with it. It won't backfire," Wyatt reassured Junior and chanted the spell. Junior's appearance changed. He too now was dressed like Wyatt only in off-white clothing. His hair was now black and eyes turned brown.

"OK, now. We've got a kitten to find. Tell me what happened," Junior said in a business like tone. Wyatt, now equipped with two sets of memories, could see a more comprehensive picture. He told Junior about the demon that took the sword while Junior was searching through his iPhone for something.

"Don't tell me you are getting reception here," Wyatt was a bit annoyed. Junior looked at him with a frown firmly in place.

"Don't be ridiculous Wy," he said. But before Wyatt could say anything else, Junior held the device in front of Wyatt's face.

"Is this the demon?" Junior asked. Wyatt was surprised. He nodded mutely.

"OK. We might be in bigger trouble than I had thought. It says here that the demon is named Yagasura. He captures the souls of the dead and turns them into thralls, a type of undead slave. He is almost unbeatable because he has some limited control over limbo. If his physical form is vanquished, he goes to limbo instead of purgatory. He waits there for a favorable opportunity and then returns to material realm. The only way to defeat him is to first destroy his physical form and then follow him to limbo and vanquish him there," Junior finished reading. Wyatt jaw had dropped to ground.

"And you just happened to have all that information in your phone?" Wyatt asked him incredulously.

"Its the eBook of Shadows with our personal notes. Chrissie has one too," Junior explained.

"Are you out of your mind? What if evil gets hold of your phone?" Wyatt asked; his voice laced with concern. Although at the back of his mind he kept thinking, 'Why did I not think of that?'

"Chris made it self-destructive. If someone evil tried to access it, the book will erase itself, email us the picture of the demon that took it and finally cause a small detonation that will hopefully vanquish the demon. Peanut made sure its failsafe," Junior told Wyatt as if it should have been obvious. Wyatt could not believe what he was hearing. He had the 'you've got to be kidding me' look on his face. Junior rolled his eyes.

"Look it came in handy didn't it? Now, back to the demon. How do we follow him to limbo?" Junior asked.

"We don't. I do," Wyatt responded simply. He would never agree to a plan that involved the temporary death of his little brother or cousins. Junior was about to protest but Avi interjected. He had not completely grasped what was going on but being Chris's past live he was very cunning. He got the gist of their conversation.

"Isn't Chris already in limbo? Could he not defeat the demon there?" Avi asked logically. It could work, especially if they manage to warn Chris somehow. Junior had a thoughtful expression for a moment before he nodded.

"So, you think vanquishing the demon would bring your brother back?" Jay asked. Wyatt's face suddenly darkened. He remembered all the cryptic crap Arrazigal had provided them with. Putting the information from both the timelines together, Wyatt came to a horrific conclusion.

"Odie, we need to talk," Wyatt said to Junior as he pulled him towards a corner.

* * *

><p>"Who're you?" Chris asked the man who was chopping wood in the backyard of the cottage.<p>

"I think you already know who I am. My name is Clarence. I like what you've done with the place," Clarence told Chris admiring the beautiful landscape.

"I have done? You think I have created this place? I'm good but I'm not _that_ good!" Chris said not realizing what Clarence was saying.

"You do realize that you're dead, don't you?" Clarence asked with a touch of disappointment.

"I figured as much. I also know that you're an angel of death. And I assume this is limbo. Although I'm not sure why you would think that I created this place," Chris said rolling his eyes.

"They don't call you the brain of the family for no reason," Clarence responded with a smile.

"Who're they? And you still haven't answered my question," Chris was tired of not getting a straight answer out of this man.

"Lets go inside and talk. We need to talk," Clarence said as he led Chris back to the cottage.

* * *

><p>Odin and Kheel found themselves in a cavern that looked suspiciously like it belonged in the underworld. They attempted to orb but it didn't work. They began to inspect the place only to realize that there was no door to the place. The only things that remotely resembled doors were five stone arches that lined half of the circular wall of the cavern. The ground was damp and there were small pools of clear water scattered throughout the cavern. Despite lack of sunlight, there were patches of grass that lined the small pools on the ground.<p>

"What do you think this is?" Kheel asked as he examined the arches. The arches seemed to lead to a sinister and dark void. It was filled with utter darkness. When Odin tried to put his hand through the arch, it was repelled back by an invisible force.

"I have no idea," Odin said. Before he could say anything else, two demons walked in through the farthest arch. They immediately attacked the two elders. Odin and Kheel managed to vanquish the demons with their elder bolts. A smug smile that appeared on Odin's face disappeared quickly as another three demons walked through another arch. The elders moved as far away from the arches as possible which, considering the size of the cavern, wasn't that far at all. The elders had always relied on the witches for fighting demons. Having to do it on their own was exhausting. Odin and Kheel didn't like it a bit. But the instinct for survival and self-preservation kicked in and they began letting loose the elder bolts.

* * *

><p>"Do you remember what Arrazigal said about reuniting two halves of Chris's soul?" Wyatt asked. Junior nodded to acknowledge the fact that he remembered what Arrazigal said although he wasn't sure what it meant.<p>

"Here is what I think happened. The entity trapped in the sword, the one that gave the sword its unimaginable power, was part of Chris's soul captured by the demon Yagasura in this time. In the original time line of the future, as soon as the sword hit Chris, it recognized him as its other half. The sword shattered and Chris's soul was reunited with its missing half. Arrazigal sent Chris and me, back to this time to witness the forging of the sword. Once we were here, the demon attacked. He was about to stab Avi to trap his soul but Chris and I managed to stop him. I'm beginning to think that we were not supposed to save him before the demon stabbed," Wyatt said but was interrupted by Junior.

"I get the part where the sword no longer contained part of Chris's soul and as such it didn't recognize him in my timeline. The sword didn't shatter and that led to Chris's death. I get it. But what does it mean? Are we supposed to let the demon stab Avi? I think that's what he meant by 'necessary evil'" Junior said. The very thought of letting a demon get to an innocent made Henry Jr. sick in his stomach.

"And don't forget 'counterintuitive decisions'," Wyatt reminded.

"If the soul of Chris's past self is trapped in the sword, Chris will be trapped too. That means he won't be born at all. So in order to save his life we have to risk his very existence first. I think that's what he meant by 'counterintuitive decisions'," Junior observed.

"But I don't think I can do that. Chris would never forgive me if I do. There has to be another way," Wyatt said.

"Don't worry Wy. We'll figure it out. We'll get Chrissie back without loosing his past self. But first of all we need to find this Yagasura and vanquish his sorry ass once and for all. And I think I have a plan. Do you think you can somehow contact Chris?" Henry Jr. asked his cousin. Wyatt nodded.

* * *

><p>"Why did you say I created this place?" Chris asked the angel of death. Clarence chuckled.<p>

"I didn't say you created it. You simply shaped it," he responded cryptically. Chris simply raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"This is an alternate plane of existence for souls, such as you, that have been dispatched from material plane in a rather sudden and violent manner. It is designed to give them a sense of safety. It helps them accept their death and move on. The place shaped itself according to your idea of a perfect, safe haven," Clarence told the brunette witch. Recognition dawned on Chris. The snow globe, although a simple non-magical artifact, was a gift from his protective big brother. As a kid, simply holding it used to give him a sense of security, an assurance that his big brother would always protect him. That is precisely why the place was so peaceful and perfect. It was his sanctuary.

"If you think staying here is going to make me willing to move on to the afterlife, you're sadly mistaken. My brother is doing everything in his power to get me back and I'm going to live again," Chris said defensively. Clarence chuckled again.

"I never thought it would. I have met your brother and he is doing what needs to be done in order to get you back. You must believe me; I'm on your side. Premature death of someone of your status would have horrific consequences," Clarence assured Chris.

"Let me guess, it will mess up your grand design," Chris said making air quotes around 'grand design'.

"Let's just say there won't be a grand design without you," Clarence said with a grave face. Chris raised his eyebrows thinking the angel must have lost it.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked incredulously.

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, your brother is calling for me. And I think I know why. I'll be back soon," Clarence said before disappearing in golden lights.

* * *

><p>Poor Odin and Kheel were sweating profusely. By far they had probably vanquished about hundred demons, about hundred more than they had during their entire career as elders. But the demons kept showing. It was almost like a never-ending arcade game. The most frustrating part for the two was that they had no idea why they were here in the first place. Was there a powerful demon behind this? Or was it some other elder trying to keep them busy? Was it even real? Would they really die if they stopped fighting? The two didn't even get a chance to think about these possibilities. A steady stream of demons kept them busy.<p>

* * *

><p>"I'm not entirely sure about sending a psychotic demon to Chris where he's alone without any backup," Wyatt said; his voice laced with concern. They had just summoned Clarence and asked him to warn Chris about the demon. Clarence assured them that Chris would be prepared to fight the demon in limbo. He also warned them to word the vanquishing spell such that the demon is sent straight to where Chris is.<p>

"He's already dead. What else could go wrong? This is not the time to be over-protective. Because I don't see the wisdom in either of us dying and following the demon to limbo when Chris is already there and perfectly capable of defeating him there" Junior said. Wyatt saw his point but couldn't help but worry about his little brother.

"Alright. So, how do we do it? We need a summoning spell and a vanquishing spell," Wyatt said to Junior expectantly.

"I'm on it," Junior said as he began searching through the eBook of Shadows for any further useful information about the demon. Wyatt informed Avi and Jay about their plan.

"I think I've got it," Junior said excitedly. He had inherited his mother's enthusiasm for all things Wiccan. He had two spells written on two pieces of parchment.

"Lets do it," Wyatt said as he motioned Avi and Jay to move to a safer distance away from the fight that was soon to follow. The two stood in front of the summoning circle Wyatt had drawn on the floor and began chanting the summoning spell.

Slaver of the dead, creator of the thrall

Demon of darkness must answer our call

The spell worked and the demon Yagasura appeared in the circle in a puff of black smoke.

"You think you can destroy me witch? I'll destroy you and then get your friend Avanijanshray over there. Let's see what you've got," the demon sneered as he formed a fireball. Wyatt was quick to dodge the first fireball and Junior orbed the second one back to its owner. Wyatt formed an energy ball of his own and threw it at the demon. Unfortunately the demon dodged it. Without the crystals, there was no way for the Halliwells to imprison the demon. Yagasura was quickly shimmering in and out to avoid the attacks from Wyatt and Junior. The fight was quickly getting out of hand as the demon had managed to dodge all of Wyatt and Junior's attacks while inflicting some damage on the witches. A well-aimed fireball from the demon hit Jay in the left shoulder. In a moment of panic, Junior orbed an axe towards the demon. The demon shimmered out of the way and the axe landed in the wooden door behind. The demon was nowhere to be seen so Wyatt rushed towards Jay to heal him.

"Wyatt! Watch out!" Junior shouted as he orbed the axe embedded in the door towards the demon. The demon had shimmered in behind Wyatt and was about to stab him with the sword. Avi quickly stepped in he way however and the sword was embedded in his chest instead of Wyatt's back. A wicked smile appeared on the demon's face. The demon was distracted by his sudden luck and didn't notice the axe Junior had orbed towards him. The axe plunged in the demon's back and he collapsed. Wyatt and Junior quickly chanted the vanquishing spell to send the demon to Chris in limbo.

Slaver of the dead, maker of the thrall

The demon of darkness now must fall

His spectral form must not persist

So send him off to the Catalyst

The demon was surprised to see the effect of the spell. Flames enveloped the demon's body before turning it to nothing more than a pile of ash.

* * *

><p>Patty and Evan reached the manor as soon as she got the call from her mother. It had been about half an hour since Wyatt and Junior had left. All the Halliwells were anxiously waiting for something to happen. They had moved Chris's body to his Parent's bedroom where Piper and Leo sat besides him, weeping silently. They had called Billie, Adam, JD, Patty, Penny, Reese, Dan and Prue to the manor. If Turel decided to show up again, they would need all the firepower and healers they could find.<p>

"You owe us an explanation. After all you are the one who released that super demon from purgatory. The least you can do is tell us how to vanquish him," Phoebe told Arrazigal.

"I don't understand. The book doesn't say anything about this Turel guy being invincible. Aunt piper should have been able to blast him to oblivion. How did he become so powerful?" Patty asked.

"The sword makes him powerful," Arrazigal answered simply.

"So if we manage to knock the sword off from his hands or just use telekinetic orbing to call it to us, he should be easy to defeat," Evan observed.

"In theory, may be. But the fact that he is so powerful to begin with will make it near impossible for us to get the sword. I mean he's not going to stand still while we try to get the sword," Paige had to be the cynic. Their discussion continued for quite some time. In fact this was the longest discussion they've had in years. Typically Chris would come up with some brilliant plan in minutes and he would make sure that it is flawlessly executed, precisely to the finest details. Everyone was painfully aware of Chris's absence as the chief strategist of the family. Suddenly Evan doubled over in pain and collapsed. All the Halliwells gathered near the fallen witch.

"What happened? Where does it hurt?" Patty asked; concern laced her voice but Evan was already unconscious. To her horror, his body started to vanish in thin air. Another horrific scream came from Piper who was sitting besides Chris's body. A smile appeared on Arrazigal's face as he sensed the timeline being reset and all the Halliwells grabbed their head in pain once again as their memories were being rewritten.

* * *

><p>"What in …" Yagasura exclaimed as he found himself in a frigid place instead of his familiar version of limbo.<p>

"Surprise!" Chris said with a smirk as he hit the demon with his elder bolts. It didn't kill him but was enough to knock him on his backside with a nasty wound on his chest. Chris had got Junior's spell from Clarence. He had modified it slightly to fit the situation. He took this opportunity to cast the vanquishing spell.

Slaver of the dead, maker of the thrall

The demon of darkness now must fall

Benevolent spirits, hear my plea

Banish this demon to eternity

The demon exploded and turned to ash. Chris's surroundings suddenly began to dissolve. He found himself standing besides Wyatt in Jay's workshop. Wyatt had pulled the sword from Avi's chest and was attempting to heal him. The physical wound soon disappeared. Unfortunately, he still remained unconscious.

"Wy!" Junior and Chris said almost in unison. Wyatt turned around and watched in confusion as Henry Jr. disappeared and Chris reappeared. He was ecstatic to see his little brother unharmed. At the same time he was worried about Avi and sudden disappearance of his little cousin. Jay was kneeling besides Avi trying to wake him up.

"I vanquished the demon in limbo as you asked me. What the hell happened here?" Chris asked, unaware of what had transpired while he was stuck in limbo. Wyatt filled him in briefly and resumed his attempts to resuscitate Avi. His heart was beating. He was definitely alive but comatose.

"I wouldn't worry about Junior. If I understand the situation correctly, he's gone back to the future. I mean as soon as I was back, the timeline must have reset itself. Which means Junior never came with us to the past. The only place he could be is in the original future where the sword broke," Chris began putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"I pulled the sword out before it could suck Avi's and your soul completely. If you are alive and well, he should be too. I healed his physical wounds but I cannot wake him up," Wyatt expressed his confusion.

"You have to help my brother. Please, do something," Jay pleaded.

"Power of two?" Wyatt asked. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.

"It's worth a try," Chris said as ne touched his brother's shoulder. Wyatt's hands hovered over Avi's body as the golden glow reappeared. With Chris as 'the Catalyst', Wyatt's healing powers were amplified enough to heal Avi. As soon as Avi woke up from his comatose state, a portal appeared on the wall.

"Thank you! For saving my baby brother and getting the sword back," Jay said pulling the Halliwell brothers in a hug.

"The demon attacked me. Avi saved my life. I should be thanking him. Besides, he's just like my baby brother. I could never have let him die," Wyatt said.

"I guess we should get going. We don't want to change anything else, do we?" Chris said pointing to the portal on the wall. The four said their goodbyes and Chris and Wyatt stepped through the portal.

* * *

><p>Kheel had fallen to the ground with exhaustion. The demons were about to overwhelm them when the scene changed once again. The demons disappeared and the two elders found themselves standing in the heavens once again. Arrazigal was standing in front of them with a cold and merciless expression.<p>

"I have given you two a tiny glimpse of what I can do. Take it as a friendly warning. Back off," the angel of destiny said in threatening voice before disappearing in golden light.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the sixth chapter.<strong>

**I know I went a little overboard with the eBook of Shadows. But I couldn't help myself. After all this happens some fifteen years from now.**

**Kindly read and review.**


	8. Unbroken

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter. I'm sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. The semester just began and I have been too preoccupied with it.

Anyway, in this chapter, The Halliwell brothers and cousins are going to uncover a few more pieces of the puzzle. A new character is introduced. Chris is going to discover a new power of his and yes… he will also find out what to do with the shattered sword.

tsu sama: I'm glad you like it. I hope you like this chapter too.

doremishine itsuko: Chris is my favorite character too. So don't worry; I won't kill him, at least not permanently anyway. But his selfless attitude and love for his family makes him do some crazy things that endanger his life. That's part of the reason we all admire him, wouldn't you agree?

Veradjna: I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll try to update faster in the future.

My Alternate Reality: Thank you. Odin and Kheel are two elders I dislike the most. I enjoyed writing the part where Ari punishes them. Knowing Odin and Kheel, however, I doubt they have learned their lesson.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Unbroken<strong>

Piper was shocked to see Chris's body fade away from underneath the white sheet that covered him. As long as they had the body, there was an infinitesimal chance of getting her peanut back. With his body, her hopes faded away. Before her and Leo could process the disappearance of their youngest, they were overwhelmed by extreme headache. The resetting of timeline and reshuffling of recent events rewrote their memories. Chris's death was instantly erased from their memories as in the reset timeline he had never died. Turel had once again been vanquished and the pieces of the broken sword reappeared in the conservatory. Evan, who had crumpled with pain in the attic moments ago, vanished as well from the attic and was back in the hospital, comatose since in the reset timeline Patty never got the call from her mother and she walked straight into the street. A car had jumped the red light and would have hit her. Evan had dived to push her out of the way and was hit instead. His presence in the manor, moments ago, was completely forgotten just as Chris's death was. Carver was now worried about his brother's health and the Halliwells were back discussing the possibility of magical healing for Evan.

"… and Wyatt. Besides, how can you be so certain that there wasn't a demon behind it?" Junior, who had just reappeared in the manor, continued as if he had never left for the past with Wyatt.

"Oh come on, don't you think it's a little farfetched? Accidents happen every day. The driver was most likely drunk. Too bad nobody saw the license plate," Paige observed.

"Farfetched? Are you guys serious? Most of the 'accidental' occurrences in our lives are not really coincidences. How can you possibly be sure that it wasn't a demon? Did you all forget the 'Yosemite' incident? A demon broke Chris's arm just before our family vacation. He made it look like an accident and you guys didn't heal him. Chris couldn't use his elder bolts for a month. And surprise surprise we get attacked by a water demon that is vulnerable only to electricity. We were lucky that Reese was able to use his empathy to tap into Chris's Power to vanquish it…" Junior's ranting would have continued but at the very moment a portal opened on the wall and Chris and Wyatt stepped out.

"You're back!" Piper exclaimed as she hugged her two boys. Although all of his family seemed relieved to see him and his brother return safely from the past, Chris couldn't help but notice there was a strong sense of sadness and worry in the atmosphere. He also noted that Arrazigal was nowhere to be found. The angel of destiny had left the manor as soon as the timeline reset itself as he had two disobedient elders to take care of. Wyatt noticed Carver's worried face and bloodshot eyes. He immediately sensed something was wrong and pulled his boyfriend in a reassuring hug.

"Hey. You don't look so well. What happened?" Wyatt inquired. His family explained to him in short what had happened. Wyatt immediately prepared to orb to the hospital and heal Evan. He could feel the distress his boyfriend was in and didn't exactly care about personal gain or exposure issues. But his family, including Carver, stopped him from doing anything radical. Everyone except Junior and Wyatt agreed that it was in their best interest to let the mortal doctors treat him, at least for now.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple of days since Chris and Wyatt had returned from their voyage through the past. Chris had missed a few classes and was working hard to catch up. Although he was still living with his big brother, he would go to his dorm room once in a while for study sessions with his roomie, Aaron. Arrazigal hadn't shown his face during those two days and nobody knew exactly what to do with the broken sword. Piper had gathered the pieces into an urn and placed it in the attic. Except for the fact that Evan was still in the hospital, life was almost back to normal for the Halliwells.<p>

* * *

><p>"Again? I've been looking for that book for weeks. Why was I not informed as soon as it became available?" Chris was frustrated. His anatomy exam was in a week and he desperately needed that book. Although Chris was good, very good in fact, in his studies and a week's time was more than enough for him to prepare for the subject he was already pretty good at. But, being a chronic worrier, he preferred being on top of things. Besides he never knew when a 'family emergency' would screw up his schedule. With a frustrated sigh, he turned away from the counter in the library when he heard a soft feminine voice.<p>

"Looking for this?" A beautiful girl with olive skin, brown eyes and captivating smile asked him. Chris was speechless for a moment before he gathered his wayward thoughts and managed to return a charming smile. At least he hoped it was a charming smile and didn't make him look like a drooling idiot.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I have an exam next week," Chris managed to respond.

"I know. We're in the same class. I have to take that exam too," she responded. Chris searched through his memories and couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed her before.

"Then I suppose you need the book as much as I do," Chris said a little disappointed.

"We could share it. In fact it will help both of us. You see; I'm a bit weak in anatomy. And I'm sure you are far better at it than me. We could study together. That way you will get to use the book and I could use some help too," She said making sure not to loose eye contact with him. Ordinarily, Chris would go out of his way to verify if any of his new acquaintances are supernatural and/or evil. But there was something strangely enthralling about this girl that he found himself agreeing to her proposal without giving it another thought.

"Great! My name is Catherine by the way, Catherine Psarra," She said tugging her long brown hair behind her left ear.

"Chris, Chris Halliwell", Chris responded. She quickly noted down her number on a piece of paper before handing it to Chris.

"Call me," she said. Chris unwittingly stared at her as she walked away. She turned around once and smiled at him before disappearing around a corner. Chris now stared at the piece of paper in his hands wondering what just happened. He hadn't felt like this ever since… Bianca.

* * *

><p>"I still don't understand why I can't just heal him," Wyatt said to Carver. Wyatt, Carver, Junior, Reese and Prue were in the attic still discussing Evan's condition. Wyatt and Carver were sitting on aunt Perl's sofa while Prue had taken the chair. Reese was lazily leaning against the door while Junior was looking through the book searching for any demon that could be involved in Evan's accident. He was not ready to give up on his 'driving demon' theory just yet. Carver gave Wyatt a sad smile.<p>

"Don't you think I would like that too? He is my baby brother. He's the only family I have had ever since my conservative parents disowned me," Carver said.

"Hey! What are we? Chopped liver?" Henry Jr. said with mock offence. Ever since Wyatt and Carver got together, the entire Halliwell family, except perhaps Sam, Paige's father, had accepted and treated Carver like family. Sam didn't particularly dislike Carver but he wasn't entirely comfortable with the concept of same sex couples either. Of course he knew better than to voice his opinions in front of his liberal daughter or her family.

"Of course you guys are my family. You know what I mean. But I grew up with him. We have a bond not unlike the siblings in the Halliwell family. But I can't help but agree with your father. This is not a magical issue. What if the elders bind your active powers like they did with aunt Phoebe all those years ago? We can't take that chance. I hate the fact that my boyfriend is probably the first line of defense against the new source. I keep reminding myself that you are the most powerful witch and that if anyone can protect this family, it's you and Chris. If you loose your powers, this whole family and consequently the entire world is in danger," Carver attempted to convince his boyfriend.

"Actually, that is precisely the reason he should do it. The elders would never dare to take away his powers or they threaten the balance between good and evil," Prue said confidently. Wyatt and Junior nodded in agreement.

"May be, but we can't take that chance. Besides, Evan might wake up any moment. The doctors don't know how bad he's hurt. He could be alright and we might not even need magical healing," Carver knew he was unrealistically optimistic but blind optimism was the only thing he had at the moment.

"Carver is right. May be I should go to the hospital and see if I can get a vision or something. If I see something bad in Evan's future, Wyatt could heal him. If not we can let the doctors treat him," Reese spoke for the first time. Everyone seemed thoughtful. Reese's suggestion was certainly worth consideration. He wasn't forcing a premonition so it would not be a personal gain. And if he sees something bad happen to Evan, it would mean that they were meant to change it.

"We could do that. But what do we do if you don't get a vision?" Wyatt asked his little cousin.

"Then we're back to square one. But if there is a chance that we might gain an insight, we have to try it," Reese said.

"Let's go. The ally behind the Hospital is pretty much isolated. We can orb there," Wyatt said grabbing Carver's hand before disappearing in a shower of blue and white orbs. Junior, Prue and Reese used their own mode of transportation to reach the hospital.

* * *

><p>Piper Halliwell was probably one of the strongest women in the world. But in her current dilemma, she felt like being one of the weakest. She was absent-mindedly folding the laundry while contemplating what nightmares lay in their future. She smiled a little bit as two arms enveloped her from behind in a loving embrace. She rested her head on Leo's shoulder as he placed a kiss on her temple.<p>

"What are you so worried about?" Leo asked her knowing well what was going through her mind.

"Nothing in particular. I just feel like I'm loosing control," Piper said in an attempt to put her state of mind in words realizing quickly that she had failed miserably in expressing her feelings. Leo frowned.

"What do you mean? Our kids are grown up. We lost control a long time ago, Piper," he said with a little smirk on his face.

"That's not what I meant. I'm talking about Chris…" she said but was interrupted by her husband.

"I don't think we ever truly had any control over Chris. He has always been the most independent of the lot. My opinion may be biased because of future Chris but I always had a feeling that we need him more than he needs us. And he can sense it. We just got lucky that his neurosis and inherent goodness kept him out of trouble. If he had gone through a rebellious phase like Phoebe or even Prue, we would have been screwed," Leo observed.

"My boy is an angel. Don't you dare, call him 'difficult'. Besides, he always listens to _me_," Piper said smugly. It was no secret that Chris had always been bit of a mamma's boy.

"Alright, I was just making an observation," Leo said defensively.

"Besides, that's not what I was about to say. We deliberately kept the truth about Chris's other self and his trip to the past from our boys. And we had good reasons; I don't regret our decision. But some things that happened over past week have me worried," Piper tried to explain her fears.

"What do you mean?" Leo asked incredulously.

"First of all, we're not the only ones with the knowledge of the past. If Gideon is the new source, he knows everything and he could use it against us. The angel of death that talked to Wyatt in the past knows it too. Most of the elders know about the other Chris. Secondly, Chris is getting suspicious that we're hiding something from them. I'm just afraid that if Chris and Wyatt find out about what happened from someone else, they will loose their trust in us. They might think we betrayed them by not telling them about their past or alternate future or whatever. You know what I mean. I cannot loose my boys, Leo. I don't think I can stand to look the hurt and mistrust in their eyes. What if they hate me?" Piper was on the verge of breaking down.

"Shhh, Piper, that's not going to happen. We had an excellent reason to keep the past from them. It wasn't fare for Wyatt to be self-conscious all the time and feel the need to prove to every one that he was still good. Wyatt is too sensitive. How do you think he would have reacted after knowing that under different circumstances, he could have been the source of all that is evil? It would have broken him to know that in an alternate timeline, he wouldn't have thought twice before hurting his little brother. It wasn't fare for Chris either to grow up with the burden of expectations. I'm sure if we had failed to save Wyatt, our Chris would have moved heaven and earth to protect his big brother from turning evil. But it would have been his own free will, not because we kept telling him that that's what he's supposed to do, that's what he's born to do. We did what we had to do. I'm sure the other Chris would have agreed with us. Now the boys are grown up, mature. Even if they find out the truth now, I'm sure they'll be able to appreciate our point of view. They could never hate you. They love you too much to ever hate you. I assure you of that," Leo reassured his wife. Piper wiped her tears and nodded in agreement. Leo had lifted a huge burden from her mind.

"Do you think it's time that we tell them ourselves before someone else has a chance to do it?" Leo asked unsure.

"May be soon. But I don't think now is the time. There are too many things going on right now. We cannot afford to have the boys distracted and uncomfortable around each other, especially if Arrazigal is right about some big bad attacking us in near future," Piper said.

"I don't know. May be that's precisely the reason we should tell them everything. There is something else I'm worried about. Remember what Kevin said about our Chris being the same as the future Chris?" Leo asked. Piper nodded. A frown appeared on her face, not getting where her husband was going with this.

"What if Chris starts getting the memories from the other timeline?" Leo asked. Pipers face darkened with worry.

* * *

><p>"I don't think I can do it anymore. Can we take a break, please?" Catherine said yawning and stretching her arms. She was confident Chris wouldn't say no. They had been studying for the test for about half an hour. Chris was capable of pulling all-nighters without any breaks as long as he had enough caffeine in his system. Catherine apparently didn't have that kind of endurance. If Chris had been studying with one of his cousins or Wyatt, he would have given them a lecture on importance of focus while studying. Somehow he found himself unable to say 'no' to anything Catherine said.<p>

"What do you have in mind?" Chris asked.

"Lets grab a coffee and something to eat," Catherine suggested.

"Sounds fun," Chris said cheerfully which, for anyone who knew Chris well, was very un-Chris. The brunette witch offered his female companion a hand and the two headed towards her favorite cafe.

* * *

><p>"Damn it", Reese cursed in frustration. He had been trying to get a vision about Evan's future and so far he'd been unsuccessful. He had touched almost everything in Evan's hospital room. After not getting anything there, they had orbed over to his apartment and still had nothing. Elders, angels of destinies or anyone who controlled Reese's visions had decided to keep Evan's fate in dark.<p>

"Calm down, Reese. We knew this could happen. There was always a possibility that we weren't going to get anything. Knowing our luck, I would have been surprised if you had gotten a vision," Prue said but failed to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"So, what do we do now?" Junior asked.

"We're back where we started. If it really was an accident, there isn't much we can do. So let's start by assuming it wasn't. From my last encounter with the source, I gathered as much that he has some personal grudge against our family, especially Chris and me. So it is safe to assume that if Evan's accident is demonic in nature, it's not random, the source is behind it. It makes sense if he is trying to get us rattled by attacking those who are close to us. At least that's the theory that makes sense to me. What do you guys think?" Wyatt asked. Junior was thoughtful for a moment.

"What?" Reese asked him, noticing the changed expression on Junior's face.

"I'm not sure. It's something the source said to Wy. And the way our parents reacted when they heard it. I was 99.99% sure they are hiding something. So I tried to get aunt Phoebe to spill but even she was tightlipped about it. But she gave me enough to _know_ that they are hiding something. If aunt Phoebe is not willing to talk, it has to be something big," Junior said. Wyatt's brow furrowed.

"I had a chat with Chris last night and he seems to think the same thing. Personally, I believe that our parents would never lie to us about something so important. But you know Chris, ever the neurotic one," Wyatt said rolling his eyes. Prue promptly slapped him on the arm.

"Aw, what was that for? You cannot possibly suggest that Chris is not neurotic and obsessive. He used to make mom give him Book of Shadows quizzes. He made flash cards for spells for goodness' sake!" Wyatt whined.

"I know he's a neurotic little freak. But Chris's neurosis has kept us safe on countless occasions. If it wasn't for Chris's obsessive spell learning Wy, you would still be wearing a pointy hat and worrying about being covered in bird poop," Prue said poking Wyatt in the chest. Remembering the magical mishap where one of Wyatt's personal-gain spells backfired and he got turned into a garden gnome was enough to make him blush in embarrassment. Both Reese and Junior couldn't help but burst out laughing. Carver was the only one who hadn't known anything about it.

"I'll fill you in later," Henry Jr. assured Carver and Wyatt narrowed his eyes and glared at his little cousin.

"Anyway, I think peanut and Odie are right. If we are to face this source, we need to have all the information," Prue attempted to get all of them back to the topic at hand.

"Right. So lets divide and conquer. Out of all our parents, aunt Phoebe is most likely to give something away. And Reese, being a momma's boy, has the best chance of getting anything out of her," Junior said and Reese sent him a glare. Wyatt scoffed.

"Like you're not a momma's boy. Face it Odie, among all the males in our generation, I'm the only one who's not a momma's boy," Wyatt teased his little cousin.

"That's because you're a daddy's girl, Wy," Junior was quick with a comeback.

"Careful Odie, don't forget, I can turn you into a toad, the kind with warts," unable to think of a comeback, Wyatt resorted to threats.

"I wouldn't worry so much about that threat, Junior. Knowing Wy's spell casting skill, it's more likely to backfire," Carver couldn't help himself. Wyatt clutched his chest in a dramatic gesture as if he was being stabbed in the heart. Seeing as all of them were getting severely off topic, Prue decided to take charge. She let out a shrill whistle in order to grab their attention.

"Alright! Now that I have your attention, Odie, find Chris and get him to use his demonic connections to see if Evan's accident really was an accident. Wy, go to the elders and see if they are ready to divulge anything about the source or Evan's accident. Talk to Sandra or Roland, they are more likely to cooperate with us. If not, try to find Arrazigal. Carv, stay with Evan. Let us know if there is any change in his condition. Reese, you and I need to have a little chat with mommy dearest," Prue assigned everyone their duties. All the boys were suddenly standing in attention.

"Yes ma'am!" Everyone said in unison and saluted before dissolving in flurry of orbs. Prue rolled her eyes before teleporting to her mom's house with Reese.

* * *

><p>Ella Josephine Walker was not in a good mood. It was very evident by the way she slammed the door of the house shut and threw her shoes haphazardly. She stomped to the kitchen and took a giant swig of water before she noticed her half demon brother Dan watching her curiously.<p>

"What?" She hissed at him.

"Something wrong?" Dan asked calmly. Ella looked at him irritated. Dan thought he saw a hint of tears in her eyes.

"Nop. Nothing's wrong," she responded but failed to convince her brother. He simply raised his eyebrows. Ella sighed in frustration.

"It's that neurotic, obsessive, infuriating little freak. I mean how dumb can he be?" She began grumbling while putting the kettle on the stove. She was hoping a nice cup of tea might help her calm down.

"Whom are you muttering about?" Dan asked. The first four adjectives his sister used would fit Chris perfectly but he was no way dumb. If anything, he was probably the most cunning and perceptive one in their generation.

"Chris! Who else?" Ella almost yelled.

"What did he do?" Dan asked.

"I saw him with some bimbo at the café. She was all over him…" Ella began her ranting once again but was interrupted by Dan.

"As far as I know you two weren't dating or anything. So how is it any of your business?" Dan asked but winced as his baby sister put the kettle on the countertop with a loud bang and sent a glare his way that could kill.

"Oh god! You like him, don't you?" Dan asked as realization dawned on him. Now that he thought about it, his little sister had always acted rather differently whenever Chris was around. Chris was his good friend and he was certain that the half elder had no idea about Ella's feelings towards him. He noticed Ella was about to breakdown in tears.

"Hey. It's OK. Everything will work out," Dan said as he moved towards Ella and pulled her into a hug. She started sobbing uncontrollably on her brother's shoulder. Dan slowly patted the back of her head in an attempt to calm her down.

"He doesn't like me. Why wouldn't he like me?" She said incoherently in between sobs.

"Did he actually say he doesn't like you?" Dan asked with a frown firmly in place. If anyone hurt his little sister, even if it was Chris, he was going to kick his ass. Chris was far more powerful than him but that wouldn't stop him. Nobody messed with his baby sister. Ella shook her head.

"He doesn't even know that I like him," Ella sobbed. Dan rolled his eyes.

"You've never told him?" he asked incredulously.

"I gave him so many hints. He just doesn't get it. How can he be so blind? Or may be he knows and just doesn't care," Ella mumbled in her brother's chest. Dan shook his head.

"You know Chris as well as I do. He would never hurt you on purpose. But us guys can be idiots sometimes. I'm quite sure he is clueless about your feelings towards him. Do you know how long it took me to realize my feelings for Prue?" Dan asked rhetorically.

"I was so pissed when I saw them together, I wanted to set her hair on fire," Ella hissed.

"Please tell me you didn't actually act on that impulse," Dan asked a little scared. Ella rolled her eyes. Their father, Derek, had met Ella's mother, Valery, soon after their encounter with the charmed ones. They fell in love and married when Dan was about two and a half. Valery died due to some complications during Ella's birth. She had never told Derek that she was descendant of one of the most powerful dragons in the history of supernatural beings. To the best of Derek's knowledge, Valery had never used any of her powers. It was not until the time Ella was two and had a cold. She sneezed and there was a fire erupting from her nostrils. Derek immediately took her to the manor. Some research in the book and a chat with the elders confirmed that Ella was indeed part dragon. And surely she had a temper to suit that of a dragon.

"I think she's a demon," Ella mused.

"Stop that. Just because you're jealous and don't like her doesn't make her a demon," Dan told his sister.

"She could be. I mean think about it. With all that has happened during last few weeks, with the new source and all, don't you think it's possible that she is a demon sent by the source to seduce Chris?" Ella asked logically.

"You have no proof that she's a demon or that she means Chris any harm. Nevertheless, I see your point. I'll sniff around in the underworld and then talk to Wyatt. In the mean while, you will not do anything to her until we know for certain," Dan warned her and she nodded. Dan had been her best friend as long as she could remember and she knew he had her best interest in his mind.

* * *

><p>Henry Jr. sensed for his favorite cousin and found him at Wyatt's apartment. He severely regretted his decision to barge in on his cousin as soon as he rematerialized. Chris and Catherine were making out on the couch. Chris's shirt was already off and Catherin was working on undoing his belt. Her tongue was almost all the way down Chris's throat while he was struggling with her top.<p>

"Sorry!" Junior muttered as he covered his eyes and turned away. Catherine gave a yelp of surprise as she struggled to cover herself.

"How did he get in here?" Catherine asked Chris who was fuming at the moment. Had it been an animated series, there would have been steam coming out of Chris's ears.

"Wy gave me the key. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were otherwise occupied," Junior quickly orbed Wyatt's keys to his hands and showed it to Catherine.

"But I didn't hear you come in," she said suspiciously.

"Well, you two were _busy_," Junior couldn't help but taunt the embarrassed duo.

"Go away!" Chris shouted annoyed at his little cousin's intrusion.

"Sorry! Can't. We need your help, peanut. It's a 'family emergency', you see," Junior said. Chris growled as he heard his nickname desperately hoping Catherine didn't hear him.

"Peanut?" she asked. Chris's face was crimson but he decided to ignore that question.

"Whatever it is. I'm sure it can wait. So go away," Chris hissed.

"Well, if you don't come with me, I'll have to go to the downtown alone," Henry Jr. said. This was their code word for underworld. Junior knew Chris would never let him go to the underworld alone, especially after the stunt he had pulled after Carver's kidnapping. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Give me a minute. I'll get rid of him," he told Catherine. Chris grabbed Junior by the neck and dragged him to the kitchen.

"What is it? Couldn't it wait for a few minutes?" Chris asked in a hushed voice.

"If I had waited a few more minutes, you would have scarred me for life," Junior quipped. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Well, what is it?" He asked.

"We need to snoop around the underworld to find out if Evan's accident was demonic in nature," Junior responded.

"And it couldn't wait, why?" Chris was still pissed at Junior for interrupting.

"Well, the source is after us and we need to find out if he is behind Evan's accident. Or would you prefer to wait around till another one of our family members is in the hospital?" Junior asked sarcastically. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Alright. But I'm not leaving Catherine without an explanation. Wait outside for me for a few minutes," Chris said as he shooed Junior away. Within a few minutes, Chris and Catherine came out of Wyatt's apartment. Catherine pecked Chris on the lips after they made plans to meet again. Catherine glanced at Junior for a moment before leaving. For some reason the look in her eyes made Junior uncomfortable. He made a mental note to talk to Wyatt about Chris's new acquaintance before the two orbed to the underworld.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the amulets, Roland. I'm not sure what they did exactly but thanks anyway," Wyatt said to the elder as soon as he rematerialized. Looking at the confused expression on Roland's face, Wyatt frowned.<p>

"The ones you gave me and Junior just before we left for the past, remember?" Wyatt asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean. I never gave you any amulets. In fact, I haven't seen you since the last time you were up here," Roland said narrowing his eyes and added, "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No! I'm fine. Never mind. I guess it happened in the erased timeline. That's why you don't remember. Anyway I'm here to find out if you know anything about Evan's accident. If there is a chance that it was demonic, we need to know. If the source is after our loved ones, we need to protect them," Wyatt decided to switch to the task at hand. Although Roland was not entirely satisfied with Wyatt's explanation of why he didn't remember giving him the amulets, he decided to drop it, at least for the time being. Kevin, who was standing besides Roland spoke up.

"We, meaning myself, Roland and Sandra, have been watching you and your family..." Kevin said and Wyatt narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that. We're not peeping elders. We don't watch the funny stuff. We simply sense if there is any demonic activity going on around your family. And as far as we know, Evan's accident wasn't demonic. But that doesn't necessarily mean the source wasn't behind it. Evan's accident wasn't magical in nature. The source could have convinced some witch or even a mortal to do his dirty work. That way it is difficult to trace back to him. All we can say is that there was no magic involved," Kevin informed. The thought that the source could be using mortals to get to his family unnerved Wyatt greatly. He thanked Kevin and Roland and was about to orb down to the manor but stopped. He was about to ask the two elders about their policy on magical healing for non-magical injuries but then decided against it. Kevin and Roland were watching him curiously.

"Never mind," Wyatt said before orbing down to the manor.

* * *

><p>Reese and Prue were at their home going through the cliff notes of the book and some other references they had checked out from the library at the magic school. A smile appeared on Phoebe's face as she saw her two children researching in the living room.<p>

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" She asked curiously.

"Research," Prue answered in a voice that did not invite further conversation. Phoebe frowned.

"On?" she asked.

"Demons," Prue answered in the same cold manner. Reese rolled his eyes.

"Need any help?" Phoebe asked hopefully. Recently she had been feeling that her kids were growing too fast and that they didn't need her anymore. If it were up to her, she would have kept her kids five-year-old forever.

"No thank you. We've got it covered," Prue responded. Phoebe wasn't sure why her daughter was acting like this. She looked at Reese with raised eyebrows. Reese rolled his eyes. He was about to speak but seeing Prue's narrowed eyes he reconsidered.

"Oh come on. We never get to do anything together. I miss my kids. Besides I have been a charmed one since before you were born. It is in your best interest to take advantage of that fact," Phoebe reminded them.

"We've scanned the book cover to cover already. After Wy gave us the description of the source, we've been looking for the demon in the book," Reese decided to fill in his mother on their progress. Phoebe's eyes lit up.

"Ah ha. You do need my help. I could have told you hours ago that Gideon was not a demon, he was an…" Phoebe quickly shut her mouth realizing the slipup but it was too late. She remembered her chat with Junior and looking at the expressions in her kid's eyes, she knew they had heard the name. It wouldn't be long before the next generation charmed children figure out the truth.

"Gideon was what now?" Reese asked. Phoebe could feel the stares from her two children.

"The worst of them all. Paige! I need you," She responded vaguely before grabbing her purse and calling for Paige.

"Mom! Who the hell is Gideon? Don't you think we aught to know if he's after us?" Prue asked incredulously. She couldn't believe her mom and aunts would keep something as important as the source's identity from them.

"I'm sorry baby. But I really need to go. Paige now!" Phoebe was sure Piper was going to kill her.

* * *

><p>"What do you know about Evan Miller's accident?" Chris hissed at the demon he had captured. The true expression on the demon's ugly face was hard to discern but Chris interpreted it as triumphant smile. Furious, he squeezed his fist further, telekinetically crushing the demon's windpipe. The demon that was suspended midair by Chris's version of telekinetic chokehold, frantically flailed his legs and tried in vain to loosen his invisible grip.<p>

"You know, he can't answer with you asphyxiating him like that," Junior pointed out logically to his older cousin. Chris in response loosened his grip just enough to let the demon speak.

"Evan who?" the demon gasped.

"Wrong answer," Chris hissed and squeezed tighter. Suddenly the demon's neck cracked. The sound was almost sickening. The demon burst out in flames and turned into a pile of ash.

"Whoa. I didn't know you could do that," Junior exclaimed. Chris himself seemed surprised. Telekinesis was the first power he had gotten after orbing. He's had it almost his entire life and he had learned to use it in quite a few creative and elaborate ways. But he had never broken a demon's neck with his telekinesis before. May be his powers were advancing, he thought.

"Neither did I…" Chris's sentence remained incomplete as both of them heard a familiar voice warning them of an incoming fireball.

"Behind you!" Dan yelled and Chris and Junior ducked and rolled away to avoid a fireball. Three almost identical upper level demons had shimmered in and attacked the Halliwells. Dan was quick with an energy ball but his intended target dodged the attack.

"Traitor," one of the demons hissed at Dan. A smirk appeared on Dan's face.

"Technically, I was never loyal to you so I can't be a traitor," the half manticore said smugly as he conjured another energy ball.

"I will flay you alive and make a jacket out of your skin, traitor," the demon growled at Dan.

"Ewe, that's a nasty image," Henry Jr. said in disgust. At that very moment Chris and Dan coordinated their attack on the mouthy demon. Chris's elder bolts and Dan's energy ball hit the creature almost simultaneously. The damage was enough to vanquish the demon instantly.

"Thanks," Dan said to Chris as they turned their attention to the remaining demons that were trying to gang up on Junior.

"What can I say? It would be easier on our eyes if your skin remains on your body," Chris said smirking.

"Guys a little help here!" Junior said as he was constantly orbing away from the offending creatures while telekinetically orbing large boulders at them.

"Hey ugly!" Chris said to the demons but only one of them turned his attention to Chris and Dan. Chris immediately threw him to the farthest wall with his telekinesis while Dan conjured an energy ball. He didn't notice when the third demon shimmered behind an unsuspecting Henry Jr. and pressed an atheme against his throat. At the moment Chris electrocuted the second demon and Dan threw his energy ball. Just as the first time the second demon was vanquished.

"We make a great team!" Dan said raising his hand for a high-five. Just as Chris returned the gesture, they heard a voice.

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet if I were you," the demon threatened pressing the knife deeper into Junior's throat. The demon muttered something under his breath and suddenly the air around Chris and Dan shimmered. But instead of materializing into demons, the shimmer turned into iron bars. Chris and Dan found themselves trapped in an iron cage. The look on Dan's face was that of utter disbelief. Chris tried to touch the bars but was immediately zapped by a bolt of electricity.

"What? You think only you witches can create cages that shock? How does it feel to get the taste of your own medicine?" the demon asked menacingly. Chris only scowled in response. He tried to orb but his orbs bounced and he was quite unceremoniously dumped on his backside. The demon laughed with amusement. So the cage was orb-proof but not necessarily shimmer-proof. Chris looked at Dan who immediately understood what his half elder friend was suggesting. He nodded and attempted to shimmer. To their surprise, it didn't work.

"You witches are so predictable. There is no way you can escape that cage. Now, it's time for my revenge. You vanquished both of my brothers in front of my eyes. Now, you will watch your cousin bleed to death and won't be able to do anything about it," the demon said his voice full of venom as he sliced Junior's throat with the blade. Blood gushed from the wound as the blond youth collapsed to the ground. The demon cherished the look of horror on Dan and Chris's face.

"My master wants to take care of the half elder personally. But that doesn't mean I can't have some fun with you two before I hand you over. Sit tight and enjoy the show. I'll be back for you soon," the demon said before he shimmered out. Tears streamed down Chris's cheeks as he helplessly watch his little cousin, no, his little brother succumb to death.

* * *

><p>"You told them what now?" Paige asked incredulously. Phoebe looked sheepishly at her older sister. She was sure Piper was going to blow the gasket. Leo touched his forehead with frustration and worry.<p>

"Look, I'm sorry about what I did, OK? But you have to admit, if Gideon is after them, they need to know about what happened. May be it's time we tell them the truth," Phoebe attempted to make her case.

"We? No. We are not going to tell them anything. You have done enough damage as it is by opening your big mouth. I'll be the one to talk to the kids," Piper said in a steely voice. She knew she was being unfair to her little sister but at this point, she didn't exactly care. Her sons were sure to find out about the elaborate web of lies she and her sisters had woven over the years regarding Chris's trip to the past. Chris and Wyatt deserved to know the truth, at least part of the truth anyway, but she knew she had to handle the situation very carefully if she didn't want to damage her son's trust irreversibly. Now, Phoebe had tactlessly revealed some of the critical details about the carefully hidden past and she was the one who was forced to face her sons before she was ready.

* * *

><p>"No! Odie! Look at me. You have to try and stay conscious. Please! Don't die on me now," Chris pleaded but life was quickly fading from Junior's eyes. His brain was working mile a minute. He had already tried to contact Wyatt through their shared link but it didn't seem to work. Then he thought of using his telekinesis to pull Junior's barely conscious body near the cage. He thought he might be able to get his hand out of the cage to heal Henry Jr. All the while, although unwittingly, Chris had his hands outstretched as if he was trying to heal his little cousin. Suddenly his hands began glowing with a golden hue. At the same time, the wound on Junior's neck began glowing with same light as it began to knit itself close. The gushing blood reversed the direction of its flow and Junior was healed within moments.<p>

"What the hell was that? Remote healing?" Dan exclaimed as he witnessed Junior being completely healed. Henry Jr. was equally astonished. He had never even heard of anyone healing from several feet away. Chris, however, was in no condition to answer. The healing process had taken its toll and Chris's knees buckled. Dan quickly supported his friend. The cage was not nearly big enough for a six-foot man to lie down without touching the bars and getting zapped. Dan put his left arm under Chris's own to support him.

"Go! Get out of here. Get Wyatt quickly! The demon may be returning soon," Dan told Junior who was standing just outside the cage looking for a way to get his companions out. Junior nodded and orbed away.

"Come on Peanut. Stay with me. You don't want to get zapped, now do you?" Dan said to Chris as he pulled Chris's right arm over his shoulders in an attempt to keep Chris on his feet. Before long the air in front of them shimmered and their captor returned. He scowled as he observed the fact that Junior's body was missing.

"The little half breed managed to orb away, did he? No matter, he won't survive long enough to tell anyone about you two or me for that matter. I have specific instructions from my master not to kill the half elder just yet. But you, traitor, are mine. I'm going to vanquish you for your disloyalty," the demon said as he conjured a fireball and aimed it at Dan.

"How many times do I have to explain it to you, I never swore allegiance to your master. So technically I can't be a traitor," Dan said. A smile appeared on his face as he saw blue and white orbs materialized in to the form of Junior and his best friend Wyatt. The murderous look in Wyatt's face assured Dan that his captor was as good as dead.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Wyatt's cold voice rang through out the cavern. The demon turned around in surprise before being engulfed in flames and reducing to ashes as Wyatt's energy blast hit him with full force.

"It's about time! Next time Wy, try and move your fat ass a little quicker," Dan teased his best friend. Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"Remind me why I'm not allowed to vanquish your ass?" Wyatt quipped as he approached and examined the cage. Chris was coming around by this time a smile appeared on his face as he saw his big brother along with Junior.

"So, kitten, any ideas on how we can break the cage?" Wyatt asked Chris who was standing on his own by now. Dan still had an arm around the half elder just in case he decided to collapse again.

"We can't use offensive magic from inside. Try blasting it from outside," Dan suggested.

"Worth a try," Wyatt shrugged and threw an energy ball preparing to orb out of the way should it bounce back towards him. But it didn't. Instead the iron bars simply absorbed the energy and became red hot. Wyatt tried again but apart from heating up the affected part of the cage it didn't accomplish anything.

"I think we need a power of two spell," Chris said thoughtfully.

"Well, have you got anything?" Wyatt said impatiently.

"Hold your horses Blondie. Give me a minute to think," Chris said. Wyatt was tapping his foot on the floor, something both Chris and Dan found extremely annoying. Suddenly Chris's face lit up.

"I've got it. Repeat after me," Chris instructed his big brother before he began chanting.

We call upon the power of two

To solve a puzzle with no clue

Door is locked without a key

Break this cage and set us free

The cage shuddered for a few moments before the bars bent and twisted and cage fell apart. The first thing Chris did was examining Henry Jr. to make sure his wound was healed completely.

"You were hurt? Why didn't you tell me before?" Wyatt asked his little cousin frowning.

"I'm OK. Chris healed me…" Junior's face became thoughtful as he replayed the events in his head. He remembered the fact the Chris and Dan were already trapped in the cage before he was stabbed. He had lost his consciousness and when he woke up, Dan had instructed him to get Wyatt.

"How did you heal me from inside the cage?" Junior asked now thoroughly confused. Wyatt raised his eyebrows.

"I've no idea. I was thinking of telekinetically pulling your body near the cage and try to get my hands out from in between the bars to heal you. And suddenly my hands began glowing and so did the wound on your throat. Within a minute, you were healed. I guess, in Dan's words, I 'remotely healed' you," Chris said but he was clearly confused.

"Remote healing? Are you kidding me? Up until a couple years ago you couldn't heal the regular way. And now you can heal remotely?" Wyatt blurted out without thinking. Chris smiled brightly while Junior raised an eyebrow. Wyatt saw Junior's expression and felt a little ashamed.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that Junior's OK. But I have been able to heal for a couple of decades now. Why did my power not advance that quickly?" Wyatt said with a touch of jealousy.

"Is the mighty twice-blessed jealous of his mediocre little brother?" Chris asked with mock astonishment. Wyatt narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not jealous!" Wyatt exclaimed almost instantly. Chris, Dan and Junior raised their eyebrows questioningly. Wyatt rolled his eyes at the 'that's bullshit and you know it' expression.

"Alright! I admit it. I'm a little envious. Happy?" He relented.

"That's alright Wy. At least now you know how I have felt my entire life," Chris said putting an arm on Wyatt's shoulder.

"But you've always had access to my powers. As long as I can remember, you've been able to tap into my powers through our brotherly link. And I've always shared my powers with you whenever you needed it," Wyatt said a little hurt.

"I know Wy. And believe me when I say that I didn't mean to imply otherwise. You've always been a great brother to me. It's just that… I've always depended on you when it came to powers. It makes me a little happier to realize that now I have something to offer in return," Chris said feeling a little guilty for making Wyatt feel the way he did.

"Are you kidding me? How can you possibly think that you have nothing to offer? You're the one who comes up with working spells on the fly. You're the one who remembers the potions and ingredients by heart. I hate to admit it but you're the brain behind the formidable reputation of our team. I could never truly understand why you would have an inferiority complex with me. I mean you can use your powers in more ways than I can count…" Wyatt said and Chris and Junior's face lightened up.

"There's a surprise," Junior muttered under his breath. Wyatt heard him but it took him a moment to realize what it implied.

"Hey…" Wyatt whined and all three of his companions burst out laughing.

"Anyway, lets get back to the manor. I think it's about time we have a little chat with our dear friend Ari," Chris suggested. The four dissolved in orbs and shimmers leaving the cavern empty except for a silent observer who had been hiding in a dark corner the whole time. Moments after the departure of the Halliwells, the spectator shimmered out.

* * *

><p>Chris, Dan, Wyatt and Junior arrived at the manor and headed straight to the attic. Chris opened the book and was about to begin searching through it to find a way to summon Arrazigal. But within moments golden lights filled the attic and materialized into the angel of destiny.<p>

"You were looking for me, I take it?" Ari asked with a kind smile on his face. The sisters along with Leo entered the attic while Reese and Prue teleported in at the same moment.

"We have a few questions," Wyatt said.

"Ask away," Ari responded.

"Today, I was trapped in a orb-proof cage and Junior was hurt. I healed him from several feet away. How's that possible?" Chris asked. Ari seemed to get excited after hearing that. Paige winced a little realizing her boy was hurt. The grave expression on Chris's face told her that it must have been serious. Unwittingly she moved nearer to Henry Jr. and held his hand tightly. Junior rolled his eyes but didn't make a move to get away.

"Unification. It's one of the lesser known yet most effective abilities of a Catalyst. You can combine two or more of your innate abilities to make them more effective. As an example, you have healing as well as telekinesis. In your desperation to save your cousin, were you thinking of using your telekinesis to bring him closer?" Ari asked. Chris nodded.

"Unwittingly, you unified your telekinesis with your healing ability and developed remote healing," Ari continued. Piper and Leo's eyes sparkled with pride.

"So it's not and advancement of his power?" Wyatt asked.

"Yes and no. It's an innate ability. He's always had it. It's just that… Now he's better equipped to use it. Unification takes a lot of strength and you may feel drained afterwards. With practice you should be able to merge your powers without passing out afterwards," Ari responded. An expression of worry flashed on Piper's face but she didn't say anything. Leo held her hand reassuringly.

"Does that mean I can combine any of my powers?" Chris asked.

"Well, theoretically, if the unification achieves a purpose, then yes," Ari answered rather cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean," it was Piper who voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.

"As an example, unifying elder bolts with healing wouldn't make sense. Unless you are trying to torture someone without killing, why would you zap someone and heal at the same time? So the unification will only work if your goal is to inflict torture," Ari responded.

"What are we supposed to do with the broken sword?" Leo asked. He had been wondering how a broken sword was going to help his son. Ari chuckled.

"Ah. The Equalizer. Let's see," Ari said as he waved his hand and the urn containing the pieces of the sword appeared in front of him. He dumped the contents on the table and picked out the biggest piece of the legendary weapon, the hilt of the Equalizer. He handed the hilt to Chris who examined it curiously.

"Now, hold the hilt in your dominant hand," Ari instructed. Chris held the hilt in his right hand.

"Alright. The first thing you need to do is visualize the blade in your hand. Do you remember how it looked?" Ari asked.

"Yah, I got a good look at it when that demon you employed was about to behead me with it. I remember how it looked," Chris answered with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Ari didn't acknowledge Chris's displeasure.

"Good, now, imagine holding the blade in your hand, whole and unblemished. Concentrate," Chris obliged. Although nothing happened for several moments, soon enough a few sparks of what looked like electricity crackled between Chris's fingers that wrapped around the hilt. Soon the sparks turned into bolts of electricity and took the form of the blade. One could see the outline of the blade in the white lines of electricity. Ari seemed satisfied while all the Halliwells watched in amazement.

"Great. You have summoned the spectral form of the blade. Now summon the physical blade, call it by its name," Ari instructed.

"Equalizer!" Chris called his sword. And the shattered pieces of the sword that were scattered on the table began shaking. All the pieces were attracted to the hilt as it by a magnet. As a collective they looked like a swarm of bees but to those who had encountered it before, it looked more like the hollow. The shards of the blade buzzed around the spectral blade for a few moments before assembling themselves into the physical blade. All the pieces fit together perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle. The intricate carvings on the blade glowed red momentarily against the dark hue of the blade. Chris watched in astonishment as he held the sword, his sword.

"Try and hit something. Hit the urn," Ari directed Chris to the urn. Chris hit the urn and it only chipped a little. The blade on the other hand shattered into individual pieces. Chris's face fell with disappointment.

"It is your will power that keeps the blade whole. Do not loose your concentration and try again," Ari encouraged him. Chris reassembled the Equalizer and tried again. After a few failed attempts, the urn was shattered while the Equalizer remained whole.

"The only way you're going to be able to use the blade is by practicing, a lot. Remember, you have the strongest will of all living beings. Eventually the broken Equalizer will become stronger than its unbroken form," Ari said as Chris swung the sword a couple of times with out breaking it.

"Ah, and one more important thing. It is a good idea to spar with your brother and his own toy. But remember, any fatal wounds inflicted by Equalizer, like those by Excalibur cannot be healed unless they were inflicted in a secure place like magic school. So if you are going to spar, do it at the school," Ari warned and stood expectantly to answer any other questions they might have. After a few moments Reese's voice broke the silence.

"Who is Gideon?" Reese's question drained all the color from Leo and the sister's faces. Ari remained silent and looked at Piper as if giving her a chance to come clean. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Piper spoke.

"We need to talk," she said in a broken voice.

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><p><strong>So ends the seventh chapter.<strong>

**What do you guys think of Catherine? Do you think she's a friend or a foe?**

**Kindly read and review.**


	9. The Second Blessing

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter.

My Alternate Reality: Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Remote healing is just the beginning. Chris has no idea about the true extent of his awesome 'Catalyst powers'. But he'll find out soon enough.

Katie Ria Tay: Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy the future chapters too. As for Bianca, I don't particularly dislike her but I'm not a big fan of her either. She might briefly reappear in the story as a guest later but I don't think Chris is getting back together with her.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

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><p><strong>The Second Blessing<strong>

Piper mentally prepared herself to reveal the best kept secret in the Halliwell family since Paige's birth. It took her a moment to compose herself while Paige and Phoebe fidgeted uncomfortably. Chris and Junior had instinctively known that whatever Piper was about to reveal had to be big. No, it had to be colossal. Wyatt was getting restless but didn't dare to prompt Piper to hurry up. Prue and Reese settled on floor near the chair occupied by their mother. Wyatt eventually perched himself on one arm of aunt Perl's sofa that was already occupied by Chris and Junior while Dan sat on the other. Paige had grabbed the remaining chair while Leo nervously paced near the attic door. Ari, who looked and dressed like a college kid, was acting like one. He had hopped up on the table and made himself comfortable. He was idly swinging his legs back and forth, an act Piper found extremely annoying. After allowing herself a few minutes to gather her thoughts, Piper spoke up.

"Gideon, was an elder," She finally managed to get it out. Wyatt and Reese raised their eyebrows in surprise while Chris, Prue and Junior only snorted. One would have expected a stronger reaction for such a revelation but knowing all the stunts those uptight elders had pulled over the past two decades, they were open to that possibility. Piper continued with her narration.

"While I was in labor with Chris, Gideon tried to kill Wyatt. Leo managed to track him down and vanquished him before he could do any real damage to Wyatt. We had assumed that he had simply died or reborn as a mortal or something until Wyatt told us about his encounter with the source. After hearing about the new source, we were certain it was Gideon," Piper said. Wyatt was speechless for a minute.

"He tried to kill me? Why? I mean; I was only two when Chris was born. Why would an elder try to kill a child?" Wyatt asked in disbelief. Piper's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"He always viewed you as a threat. He believed you possessed too much power for a single person," Leo responded sadly. The fact that his own mentor had betrayed him was unbearable for him.

"How could an elder become the source of all that is evil? Elders are supposed to be the highest force of good," Junior's question was directed to the angel of destiny. Ari's face was serious. He stared intently at Junior for a brief moment before responding.

"I have a theory and I have seen evidence to support it. But this is not the time to reveal it. You will know exactly how the transformation took place when the time is right. Until then you must focus on the task at hand and that is getting rid of the new source," Ari said in a dispassionate voice that didn't invite further conversation on the topic. Chris decided to change the subject.

"And what does it have to do with me? If I wasn't even born when all this happened, how could have I instilled such a hatred for myself in Gideon?" Chris asked. Piper looked at him with tear filled eyes but before she could respond, Chris interjected.

"And please, don't insult my intelligence by telling me that he lied. I have been observing your reactions and I can tell that there clearly is much more to it than that," Chris's voice was colder than he had wanted it to be.

"It's a long story," Piper sighed.

"We've got time. Go on," Chris was not willing to let it go. Leo put his hands on Piper's shoulder reassuringly. Wyatt had put his hand on Chris's knee suggesting him to exercise some self-control. Chris was staring intently at his mother. After another minute Piper wiped her eyes and spoke up.

"Chris, honey, what do you know about your namesake?" She asked.

"Perry? Your white-lighter from before I was born? Not much. Every time his subject comes up, you guys clam up as if talking about him would somehow bring about the end of the world," Chris responded.

"Then I guess it's time you get to know him better," Piper said mentally preparing herself for the conversation. She knew well that once she had opened that particular can of worms, there was no going back. She and her family would have to face the fall out. She glanced at Ari momentarily. He was an angel of destiny. Surely he knew how this was going to turn out. That's probably why he was so calm.

"Go ahead. It's time they know the whole truth. They deserve to know," Ari said reassuringly. Piper nodded and began her narration.

"It was the day the Titans attacked when we first met Perry. The Titans were seeking revenge on the elders but couldn't reach 'up there' without their orbing power. They were hunting white-lighters to steal their orbing ability. Your aunt Paige, in her infinite wisdom, decided to lure a Titan to the manor and attempt to vanquish it…" Piper said but was interrupted by Paige.

"Hey! We made a decision based on the information that was available to us at the moment. How was I supposed to know that even our strongest potion was useless against them?" Paige couldn't help but defend her actions. Piper narrowed her eyes but continued without commenting on Paige's statement.

"Anyway, Paige's brilliant plan backfired and she was turned to stone. Your aunt Phoebe was about to share the same fate when Perry orbed in. He saved Phoebe by distracting the Titan. After the Titan retreated, he told us that he was from the future and that he was here to help us defeat the Titans. He also told us that in his future, Paige had died and by saving her, he had changed the timeline. This, as it was revealed later, was the first of many lies he had told us," Piper said. Chris was rather surprised at his mother's attitude towards this Perry guy. Ordinarily, Piper showed strong distaste towards anyone who lied or manipulated her but in this case, her attitude showed certain degree of understanding.

"Anyway, after he turned Leo into an elder, Leo temporarily infused the three of us with an enormous amount of power and we were able to defeat the Titans. After that the elders made him our white-lighter as a reward for saving the world. As it turned out it was all a part of his master plan," Phoebe decided to take over the narration of the story.

"Plan to do what?" Wyatt interjected.

"All in good time, sweetie. Anyhow, he sent Leo to Valhalla for some time…" Phoebe continued.

"I beg your pardon? Valhalla? An island filled with hot girls Valhalla?" Junior asked incredulously. Leo's face turned a shade of crimson with obvious discomfort. Piper chuckled at that.

"That's the one. And he continuously kept complaining about it after he returned, can you believe it?" Only person capable of making a blunt comment at a time like this was Paige, of course.

"Paige!" Leo reprimanded his sister in law who rolled her eyes.

"Well, it was clear to us that he knew us well in the future. He knew the book and the book knew him. In the beginning we didn't really trust him. You know our family has trust issues when it comes to strangers. He knew our habits well and he new our history. That one time, a triplet of blond witches stole our identities. They did an impressive job at that, I might add. They made it look like they were the charmed ones to the entire world and we were left with no money, no home, no job, no powers and no means to identify ourselves. But somehow he was able to recognize the imposters. He tricked them into fighting and using out powers on each other. The power of three was broken and so was the spell. Thanks to him, we were able to get back our lives. He also knew his way around the manor. Throughout his career as our white-lighter, he sent us on so many demon hunts that we thought he wanted to rid the world of all demons. He was pretty unrelenting when it came to demon hunts…" Phoebe continued but was interrupted by Paige again.

"Unrelenting my ass. He was a freaking slave driver," Paige quipped. Piper slapped Paige's hand playfully.

"He constantly put us in danger. At the time, we were trying to find ourselves outside the power of three. We often gave lesser priority to our Wiccan duties. In order to teach us a lesson he arranged to have us sent to an alternate reality where our desires were satisfied. The demon he manipulated to accomplished to do this task, however, realized that Perry only wanted to teach us a lesson and never actually wanted to harm us. It almost got him killed in the process. He was probably the most lying, conniving, manipulative and neurotic little freak I have ever seen. Over the first few months, he had spun an elaborate web of lies that centered around one claim, 'I'm here to save Wyatt from some great evil'," Paige continued.

"This guy sounds like a horrible person," Junior said without thinking.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about him. So don't you dare judge him," Piper bellowed. Junior winced at the sudden outburst from his aunt. He didn't understand what was so wrong about his observation. Piper had suddenly snapped and stormed out of the attic. There was a stunned silence for a minute.

"What was that?" Henry Jr. whispered.

"It's a sensitive subject for her, sweetie. Don't worry about it. She'll come around. You will understand once you've heard the whole story," Phoebe assured her nephew.

"Well, she named kitten after this guy. She must have liked him a lot," Wyatt said to Junior who nodded in understanding.

"The first of his lies were uncovered when a Phoenix witch from the future came back looking for him. She meant to take him back to the future with her. There was someone in the future who didn't like what he was doing in the past," Phoebe continued.

"A Phoenix witch? As in assassin for hire Phoenix witch?" Chris asked. Phoebe was startled at first. Chris had dated Bianca and was aware of Phoenixes and their coven. The wheels in his head were turning and it wouldn't be long before he puts all the pieces together.

"Yes. That's the one. She managed to drag him back to the future with her. We never knew exactly what happened in his brief visit to the future but he returned shortly thereafter," Phoebe said trying to control her emotions.

"How did she manage to get so close to him? I mean; I'm sure you guys were perfectly capable of vanquishing a Phoenix. Unless of course he knew her personally," Prue asked unknowingly hitting the nail on the head.

"She was his fiancé," Phoebe said with a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Ouch!" Wyatt said wincing a little. Paige chuckled humorlessly.

"After that he tried…" Phoebe continued but was interrupted by Chris.

"What was the lie?" He asked looking at his mother who had returned with Leo by that time. Phoebe knew Chris was very close to unraveling the truth and that she wouldn't be able to change the subject without answering the question.

"He was part white-lighter and part witch," she answered. Chris was staring intently at her and his gaze made her squirm a little. All the pieces of the puzzle had been there and Chris was certainly perceptive enough to recognize them. He was smart enough to put two and two together and guess the identity of this mysterious stranger from future. The glitter in his eyes suggested that he had already arrived at the correct conclusion but he didn't say anything.

"So then, after we conjured a boy toy for your mom…" Paige continued but was interrupted by a bunch of exclamations of 'ewe', 'over sharing' and 'you're scarring us for life'. Piper turned her face in embarrassment.

"What? We're all adults here…" Paige said but was again interrupted by Phoebe.

"Paige! That's enough. He tried to trick us into binding Wyatt's powers. When we confronted him, he admitted that the real reason he was in the past was that the evil he came back to stop was Wyatt himself," Phoebe stopped purposefully to make sure this important piece of information sank in. Wyatt's face suddenly paled. Piper could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and the contortion of his face told her that he wasn't taking this detail too well. Suddenly she began doubting her decision of coming clean. But there was no turning back now.

"Wy? Are you all right?" Chris said putting an arm around his big brother who was shaking his head in disbelief.

"I was evil? How could I be evil? I don't believe it…" Wyatt managed to mutter. Chris was, by now, rubbing comforting circles on Wyatt's back; who was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Wyatt, sweetie, we all have been turned evil at some point in our life. I was the queen of the underworld for goodness' sake. Nevertheless, we didn't believe him in the beginning either. Your mom threw him out of the house. But when the order kidnapped you, they reversed your sense of morality. While you were under their influence, you thought good was evil and evil was good. Perry helped us save you. This also showed us how easy it would be for someone to corrupt a source of pure goodness like you. After that it became rather irrelevant whether Perry was lying or not. If there was a chance that some bastard was trying to turn you, we were determined to keep it from happening. After that incident Perry slowly began gaining our trust again. We realized that he came from a very dark time where you had to do anything and everything you can in order to survive. He was a shady guy and some of the things he did were objectionable but we came to realize that his intensions were anything but," Phoebe continued with the story.

"What happened to him?" Chris asked suddenly. The look on his face told the sisters that he had already deciphered the identity of the future boy. Leo's face visibly darkened.

"We've always wondered about it. I mean, after all you guys named peanut after him. I'm not quite sure why, after all the lies and manipulation, were you guys so fond of him but it seemed too weird that after being so close to the family he suddenly disappeared. Did he go back to the future? Do we know him? Will we know him in near future?" Junior asked. Piper winced at the question but didn't say anything.

"He… He died trying to save Wyatt," Leo said in a broken voice. Now it was Chris's turn to wince. Wyatt was still in catatonic state, trying to process all the information.

"Oh! That explains a lot," Dan, who was silent so far, observed.

"How did he die?" Chris asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Around the time Piper was due, we were under false impression that we had vanquished the demons who were after Wyatt. We were preparing to send Perry back to the future while Gideon, that son of a bitch, was plotting to kill my baby. He tricked us into sending Perry and Leo to a parallel, evil world instead of the future. This led to a screwed up balance between good and evil. He took advantage of the distraction and made an attempt on Wyatt's life. Perry, who was watching him at the time, tried to stop Gideon and got stabbed by a cursed atheme in the process. Gideon succeeded in kidnapping Wyatt," Piper explained, tears still streaming down her face.

"Then Leo essentially went kamikaze on his ass and vanquished Gideon. The theory was that in Perry's future, Gideon tried to kill Wyatt but he wasn't powerful enough to succeed. So instead, he ended up traumatizing baby Wyatt turning him evil. According to Perry, the evil Wyatt didn't believe in good and evil. He only believed in power. Ironically, insatiable hunger for power, by definition, is evil," Paige said in a rather emotionless voice. On the inside her heart was breaking as she remembered her nephew's death. After all she was one of the only two people who had witnessed the heart-wrenching incident first hand. Sarcasm was her way of coping with heartache.

"He died for me. That's why you guys named Chris after him?" Wyatt asked in a broken voice.

"This explains everything except one thing. Why did you guys feel the need to hide all this from us?" Reese was the one to voice the question that was on everyone's mind. Well, everyone except Chris, perhaps. Since Chris had, by now, successfully guessed the identity of the visitor from the future, he was able to understand the reasoning behind his parent's actions.

"Honey, that's because you haven't heard the punch line yet," Paige said with a dry chuckle. Both Phoebe and Piper gave her a dirty look. They were well aware of the fact that Paige loved her nephew and the dry humor was simply a defense mechanism. But they couldn't help but feel upset at Paige's tone of voice. Everyone, who didn't know the whole truth, raised their eyebrows questioningly.

"Sweetie, Perry wasn't his first name, it was his middle. His full name was Christopher Perry Halliwell," Phoebe said wiping her tears.

* * *

><p>"She told them," the seer said with a touch of surprise. Gideon was pacing in the cavern seeing as his plan to use this knowledge to manipulate the Halliwells hung in balance. He could no longer use it as leverage against the charmed ones but still there was a chance that it might drive a wedge between the charmed ones and the brothers.<p>

"What do you see, seer? Do you see a fight ensuing between the charmed ones and their progenies? Better yet, do you see the brothers falling apart?" Gideon asked. The seer touched her divination pool and searched through the images of the future that flickered over its murky surface.

"The twice-blessed child is very angry at his parents but his younger brother seems to be acting as a bridge between the two. Christopher and his brother love each other very much and I don't see them falling apart in near future. It's too bad Christopher doesn't have his memories from the other timeline. It might have made things a little more… interesting, to say the least," the seer observed.

"Perhaps I could help him along in that direction," the source said with a lopsided grin on his face.

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><p>"I pity you guys," Chris was the first one to break the awkward silence after Phoebe dropped the bombshell. Everyone looked at him not understanding what he meant. Piper's heart ached as she realized Chris was addressing her and her sisters. But there was a look of amusement in his eyes. The sisters and Leo frowned at the apparent inconsistency.<p>

"It must have been weird changing my diapers," Chris said chuckling. A smile appeared on the sister's face. At least Chris was taking it well.

"You have no idea," Paige said chuckling.

"You're not mad at us?" Piper asked hopefully.

"I'm not mad at you. I can appreciate your point of view. You were trying to protect us. But I'm a little disappointed at the fact that you didn't trust us enough to tell the truth when the topic came up the first time when Carv was kidnapped. Mom, I asked you point blank, how the source knew me, and you lied to me. I appreciate the fact that you didn't want to burden us with the knowledge while we were growing up; but we're adults now. If this Gideon guy is after us, we needed to know the truth. We deserved to know the truth. I'm not trying to make you feel bad about your decision to keep it a secret while we were growing up. In fact I believe it was the right decision. I'm sure Perry would have agreed to, after all we're essentially the same person. At the same time I cannot believe you guys tried to cover it up after Gideon had let the cat out of the bag. But trust me, I'm not mad at you," Chris said calmly. Piper couldn't sense any feelings of hatred or distrust in her peanut's voice, just a hint of disappointment. And it hurt her the most. Wyatt on the other hand was almost catatonic.

"You see, the elders misinterpreted the prophesy about the twice-blessed child. They assumed your Wiccan and white-lighter powers were the two blessings bestowed upon you. That would have made Paige, Chris, Henry Jr., Penelope and Patricia all twice blessed. You are the only twice blessed because you're the only one who's blessed with a brother like Chris. Although your enormous powers are a blessing, your second blessing, in reality, is your brother," Ari explained. A glint of pride appeared in Piper and Leo's faces. Chris was thoroughly blushing by now.

"You're right. My little brother is truly a blessing. And I'll always be thankful for that. But mom, how could you keep it from us?" Wyatt asked in a hurt voice. He was the only one of the Halliwell next generation who firmly believed that their parents and aunts and uncles would never lie to them about something that important. He felt angry and betrayed. Piper was looking at her firstborn with tear filled eyes. This was her worst nightmare.

"Wyatt, I'm…" Piper attempted to explain her point of view but Wyatt was in no mood to listen. Not only he had just found out that his parents and aunts had lied to him but also the fact that he had been evil in an alternate timeline.

"No! Mom, you had no right to keep this from us. I was the only one among us who firmly believed that you, of all people, would never lie to me. And now, I'm not sure if I can believe anything you guys have to say," Wyatt said on the verge of tears.

"No, please Wyatt, listen to me. We did what we thought was best for all of you. I know you're upset…" Piper attempted to get through to her first-born but was cut off midsentence.

"Upset? You think I'm upset? I'm not upset; I'm downright pissed. While I was growing up, you were the one who kept preaching the importance of honesty and the fragility of trust. And I trusted you. I trusted you blindly. I feel like such an idiot," Wyatt was screaming by now and Piper and Leo were beside themselves with guilt. Piper was looking at Chris, silently pleading for support. Chris put one arm around Wyatt's shoulders and rubbed his collarbone in an attempt to calm him down.

"Wy, calm down. Even if their decisions are questionable, their intentions were pure. You have to believe that. Now, I know you're angry and upset and you feel betrayed but they're our parents, don't you think we need to give them a chance to explain their actions? They've gone through hell to keep us safe and happy. Don't you think we owe them that much?" Chris said in a calming, almost hypnotic voice. His attempts seemed to work. Junior who was sitting on the sofa moved to the potion table and sat besides Ari. Wyatt settled down besides Chris.

"Wyatt, we went through a lot to keep you from turning evil and your brother paid the ultimate price. We never wanted you to be self-conscious, feeling the need to prove to everyone that you were good. We knew it would have hurt you to know that under different circumstances, you could have been the source. Since it never happened, we thought we were protecting you from the painful knowledge. If Gideon hadn't come back, you would have never needed to know the real story. It wouldn't have been fair to Chris either. If we had failed, we didn't want Chris to feel like his only destiny was to sacrifice himself to save his big brother," Leo explained their point of view. Wyatt's eyes were glistening with tears as he shook his head.

"I can't do this right now. I need to get out of here," Wyatt said in a broken voice before he orbed out. Piper let out a sob as she saw her eldest dissolve in blue and white orbs. She looked at Chris hopefully who gave her a halfhearted smile.

"Don't worry mom. I'll talk to him," Chris said before he orbed out following his big brother.

"I hope it doesn't affect Chris and Wyatt's relationship. They are best friends. I would hate to see it destroy their brotherly bond," Paige said unwittingly adding to Piper's worries. So far she was only worried about her baby hating and distrusting her. She never thought how this revelation would affect Wyatt and Chris's relationship. What if Wyatt starts to feel ashamed and uncomfortable around his little brother? And what if this knowledge instills fear and hatred in Chris's mind about his big brother?

"I tell you, sometimes I think they've some kind of weird neural network. Have you seen them in a fight together? They use their offensive and defensive powers in perfect coordination. Even in the heat of the battle they work flawlessly around each other like a well-oiled machine," Phoebe said with a hint of amazement.

"Oh! God! What have I done?" Piper said as she thought of countless nightmare scenarios where her boys could get hurt because they had lost their confidence in each other.

"Do not second guess yourself, Piper. You made the right decision. Think about it. It was in your and your family's best interest to come clean about this matter right now. The source knows about this. He could have used this knowledge as leverage against you. He could have used it to drive a wedge between you and your children. You have taken the control away from Gideon by doing this. As for Chris and Wyatt's relationship, this event was inevitable. They would have known all about the past at some point. At least right now they have the time to work through their issues. If the source had revealed the truth during their final confrontation, Chris and Wyatt would have been devastated and the outcome would have been nothing short of catastrophic. You have raised Chris and Wyatt in a loving family. If the situation is handled correctly, this knowledge will only strengthen the brotherly bond between your boys," Ari, who hadn't uttered a word during the whole time, spoke up to assure the distraught mother.

"I hope so," Piper said giving Ari a weak smile.

* * *

><p>Wyatt was sitting on the top of the golden gate bridge, leaning against the brightly colored ledge. He had his legs pulled up against his chest and his arms folded and resting on his knees. Chris couldn't see Wyatt's face as he had his forehead resting on his arms. Chris moved closer to his brother and sat down besides him. He was sure Wyatt had sensed him but didn't acknowledge his presence. But he didn't runaway either, that was a good sign. The two sat there silently for a few minutes. Chris knew they needed to talk but right now, the only thing his brother needed, was his silent support. Wyatt was the first one to break the silence.<p>

"I'm so sorry Chrissie," Wyatt managed to whisper between sobs. Chris's eyebrows rose with surprise and then he frowned as recognition downed on him.

"Wy, you have nothing to apologize for. None of it was your fault, you hear me? Don't you dare blame yourself for anything," Chris said sternly as Wyatt raised his head and turned to his baby brother. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was contorted with unimaginable emotional pain. Chris put an arm around his brother's shoulders and pulled him in a hug. Wyatt put his arms around Chris's neck and returned the hug. Chris began stroking Wyatt's hair in an attempt to comfort him. Wyatt broke down and began sobbing uncontrollably in his brother's chest.

"Shh, it's alright. We're going to get through this, both of us. Nothing has changed between us. You know that, don't you?" Chris said in a soothing voice. Wyatt raised his head and looked his brother in the eye.

"How could everything be same? You died because of me…" Wyatt began but was interrupted by Chris.

"One sentence, two mistakes. Firstly that wasn't me. I didn't die. I'm still here, alive and well, am I not? And secondly he died for you not because of you. There's a difference," Chris said logically and Wyatt grimaced.

"You know what I mean. You, from the original time line, sacrificed everything to save my sorry ass. I'm your big brother. I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around. I cannot imagine what kind of horror he must have lived through because of me," Wyatt said feeling ashamed of himself even though he hadn't actually done anything wrong.

"You don't know that. You didn't do any of those things you are imagining you did in the other timeline," Chris argued.

"He was desperate enough to travel back through time to change it. It must have been bad. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me after knowing all this," Wyatt was not ready to forgive himself just yet.

"Wy, listen to me. You're the greatest source of pure goodness I know. You're not responsible for what happened to the other me, Gideon is. He's the one who stabbed him. Now, I have to admit that you're a constant pain in my ass, but most of your annoying qualities root from the fact that you love me unconditionally. You have been the best big brother I could ever ask for. You have been my best friend. Whenever I needed you, you've been there. Face it Wy, you're a big goofy Wuvey bear. Quite frankly, I still can't imagine you as an evil over lord," Chris said making a thoughtful expression. A hint of smile appeared on Wyatt's face for just a moment and it didn't go unnoticed by Chris. This was a good sign.

"And as for me hating you, how could you even think that? I could never hate you in a million years. And I'm sure the other me didn't hate the other you either…" Chris said but was interrupted by Wyatt.

"How could you be so sure?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, firstly we're essentially the same person, at least when it comes to the way we think. So I should know it. And secondly, think about it Wy. He went back to the time you were only a year old. He must have had plenty of opportunities to kill you, but he didn't. The fact that he went through all the hatred and mistrust from our mom and aunts is proof enough that he loved his brother. Put yourself in his shoes. If I had been corrupted, and you were the one travelling through time to save me, would you hate me for it?" Chris asked. Wyatt shook his head slowly.

"But you… he died," Wyatt said still not willing to give himself a break.

"Tell me something Wy, how many times, over the past two decades, have you put yourself in harm's way just to protect me?" Chris asked rhetorically.

"That's different. I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you," Wyatt argued. Chris rolled his eyes.

"And what do you think my job is?" the brunette witch asked.

"Enjoy your life and annoy the hell out of me in the process," Wyatt answered nonchalantly.

"Very funny, Wy. We're the power of two. We're a team. We need to look out for each other. If one of us strays from the path of virtue, the other one has to fix it. Do you remember when I was about thirteen, Dad talked to a former charge of his, Dylan, I think his name was, from the navy and arranged for us to visit an aircraft carrier?" Chris asked. Wyatt simply nodded his head.

"Well, when you were with Dylan, looking at the aircrafts, dad took me to see the navigation system. Did I ever tell you what he told me there?" Chris asked again and Wyatt shook his head, curious to understand where his brother was going with this.

"Well at the time I was feeling a bit jealous of you because you had all the fire power and all I had at the time was orbing and telekinesis. Anyway, dad told me the importance of the navigation system. The battle ship, with all its firepower, would be lost without proper navigation. He told me that even though you had more powers, it was my job to keep you in line. He convinced me that I was just as valuable to the magical community as you were. Do you see now Wy? The other me was just doing his job. It had always been my job to make sure you turn out good," Chris said in the same hypnotic voice he had used to calm his brother down.

"You know you've always been important to me, right?" Wyatt asked. Chris nodded his head.

"I know that. I was just a teenager back then. I didn't know better. I still sometimes feel the inferiority complex raising its ugly head. But that's my cross to bear. Anyway, are you feeling better now? Are you ready to go home? It's getting late. It's gotten dark already," Chris asked changing the subject. Wyatt hesitated to answer for a moment.

"Do you mind if I just sit here for a few moments? I just need to gather my thoughts," Wyatt asked. Chris got up and brushed the dirt from his jeans.

"You want me to give you some privacy?" He asked his big brother. Wyatt shook his head.

"I would rather you sit here with me, if you don't mind," He said with a voice barely above whisper.

"Of course not. I'm here for you. I'll always be. You can count on that," Chris said as he sat back down besides his big brother and the two silently watched the cars passing over the bridge hundreds of feet below.

* * *

><p>"He hates me," Piper said shaking her head. Leo pulled her in a hug.<p>

"No, he doesn't. He's just overwhelmed," Leo said trying his best to console his devastated wife. Phoebe and Paige had moved closer to their sister and were trying to express their support.

"He's right, honey. We just told him that he could have been an evil overlord under different circumstances, not to mention the whole bit about Chris dying to protect him. It's just information overload. He'll come around. I'm sure Chris will bring him back," Phoebe said putting a comforting arm on Piper's shoulder.

"I just hope Wyatt isn't blaming himself for what happened. The last thing we need right now is Wyatt jumping off the deep end in his guilt and grief," Paige clearly hadn't mastered the art of keeping her mouth shut. Prue, Dan, Reese and Junior, who were still in the room, looked bemused at the sisters and Leo. Junior was the first one to form a coherent thought and manage to get it out of his mouth in the form of a question.

"So, Chris, I mean the other version, is he up there? Were you guys ever able to summon him? Knowing peanut, I'm sure neither version would ever think of blaming our Wyatt for what happened. I'm sure Wy is feeling guilty on some level. So may be we can summon the other Chris and have him talk to Wy," Junior suggested. Piper shook her head. The expression on her face was mixture of guilt, happiness and sorrow at the same time.

"We've never been able to summon him. All these years I thought it was just the elders being stubborn in not allowing him to visit. But recently, when all this mess started, Kevin came down and told us that Chris, after his untimely death, was merged with mini-Chris. I think it was their way of rewarding him for saving the world, to give him a chance to experience life the way he deserved," Piper explained. Everyone nodded in understanding. Prue was about to say something when Ari raised his hands and the walls of the attic glowed momentarily before assuming their usual unremarkable appearance.

"What the hell was that?" Reese asked before Prue could open her mouth.

"Silence barrier. Nobody can eavesdrop on our conversation anymore," Ari asked simply.

"The seer. Why didn't you raise the barrier before?" Leo asked disbelievingly. Ari chuckled.

"I had a good reason. But I'm afraid I can't tell you what it was," Ari said in a tone that reminded Leo and the sister of Chris saying 'future consequence'.

"You wanted them to listen to our conversation so far but not anymore. But why?" Leo was not ready to give up. But Ari didn't even acknowledge the question. Instead he gestured towards Prue and told her to continue.

"Anyway, What I wanted to ask is how come peanut doesn't have Perry's memories?" Prue said unsure of why this question was so important. It was easier and less confusing for her to refer to him as 'Perry' instead of 'the other Chris'.

"I put a spell on the baby to block Perry's memories from surfacing," Ari explained even though the question was directed towards Leo. Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I beg your pardon?" Junior asked incredulously.

"As soon as I issued a gag order forcing everyone, elders and angels of destinies alike, to keep quiet about the prophecy about Chris, I placed the spell on the baby to bind Perry's memories," Ari explained. The former elder shifted uncomfortably.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked Leo, frown firmly in place.

"If it was a spell, Gideon might find a way to break it. And then we would be in deeper trouble," Leo said sadly. Piper looked at Ari in utter horror.

"But you're most powerful of them all. Surely you can make the spell stronger so that Gideon can't break it," Piper said hopefully. She was not only afraid that her sweet little peanut might get all his memories from the dark future but also of the fact that he might remember the horrible way she had treated him before she knew who he was. Ari's face was emotionless for a moment before he shook his head.

"There is nothing I can do," he answered simply. Leo didn't look convinced but decided not to say anything at the moment.

"We'll find a way, honey. Don't worry," Phoebe said reassuringly.

"Phoebe's right. We always find a way. But right now, I'm starving. Could we eat something while we wait for Wyatt?" Paige asked. She was clearly trying to distract Piper from the impossible situation they were in. All the kids in the room nodded vigorously and agreed with Paige. Piper wiped her tears and smiled.

"Let me fix you guys something. God knows I need to get my mind off of this," She said as she got up and turned towards the door. Her sisters and the children followed her closely but Leo stayed behind.

"Leo, You coming?" Paige asked turning around.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be right there," he said. He turned to Ari after making sure the sisters and the children were out of earshot.

"We need to talk," Leo said.

* * *

><p>"You think I'm being unfair to mom, don't you?" Wyatt asked his little brother after a long silence. Chris considered the question for a moment before shaking his head.<p>

"No, I don't," he said firmly. Wyatt raised his eyebrows disbelievingly. This prompted Chris to elaborate on his response.

"As long as I've been capable of rational thought, I have believed most of the things mom has told us, but not blindly. You could blame it on my neurosis and paranoia but I have always scrutinized every thing anyone has ever told me, even mom. And although I have hated myself for doing it, I have lied on occasions because at the time I thought it was the only viable option. Nobody is perfect. Not even mom. I don't see the world as black and white as you do. I believe you felt so strongly because you have always put mom and dad on a pedestal. You saw them like some flawless beings that do not exist in real life…" Wyatt was about to object but Chris stopped with a raised hand.

"When that image of our parents shattered, you couldn't help but feel betrayed and I understand where you're coming from. That's why I don't think you're being unfair to mom and dad. In that sense, you're right," Chris said but Wyatt couldn't help but feel that there was an impending 'but' somewhere.

"But…" he prompted his brother.

"There is no 'but'," Chris said avoiding looking his brother in the eye. Wyatt raised one eyebrow and inclined his head to one side. Chris breathed in deeply.

"However…" he said finally and Wyatt rolled his eyes.

"In their own way, I think mom and dad were right too," he said hesitantly. Wyatt was thoughtful.

"I know they were just trying to protect me. But I don't think I'll be able to forgive and forget that easily," Wyatt said after a long pause.

"No one is expecting you to forget. And I have it on good authority that you don't have what it takes to hold a grudge. So sooner or later you're going to forgive them. I'm sure of that. In the mean while, you cannot keep running away to avoid facing the issues you have with them. I cannot make you talk to them. All I can do is assure you that I'll be there for you, should you ever need me," Chris said patting his brother's shoulder.

"I'll think about it. Thanks," Wyatt said. Chris nodded.

"So. Shall we go home now? It's getting a little chilly up here and I'm not wearing my sweater," Chris said rubbing his palms together. Wyatt wanted to point out the fact that Chris was perfectly capable of orbing a sweater from his closet to him but then decided against it.

"I don't know if I'm ready yet," Wyatt said instead. Chris nodded in understanding.

"We could go to your apartment, if you like. You can rest there for the night and we'll face the family tomorrow," Chris suggested. Wyatt was thoughtful for a moment.

"I understand what you said about eventually forgiving them. But as of now, I'm feeling all this bottled up anger and no way to vent it. I don't think I'll be able to sleep or relax in any way tonight. And if I go to the manor, I might loose my self-control and end up saying something I'll regret later," Wyatt expressed his true fear. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.

"I know of just the thing we can do," he said extending his hand towards his brother. Wyatt looked at him for a moment trying to guess what Chris had in mind but failed. Although reluctantly, he grabbed his brother's hand before Chris orbed them away.

* * *

><p>"I don't believe you," Leo said bluntly and Ari raised his eyebrows questioningly. But Leo was sure that Ari knew exactly what he was talking about.<p>

"You know what I'm talking about. You are more than capable to keep Gideon from unlocking Chris's memories," Leo said. Ari's expression turned grave. He stared in Leo's eyes that didn't show any sign of fear.

"You're right, Leo, I placed the spell on your son because it was necessary at the time. Childhood is the most impressionable time of one's life. All those horrid memories would have emotionally scarred young Christopher as he grew up. But now, that spell has served its purpose. Chris has grown up to be a strong and confident young man who loves his family to a fault. There is no need for the spell to prevail anymore. In fact, it may prove to be harmful now," Ari said calmly. Although the first part of his explanation was understandable, the last portion was anything but.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say that Chris getting all those horrible memories is all a part of your master plan?" Leo asked point blank. He was sick of the cryptic crap and he was sick of the 'higher ups' using his family as pawns.

"It is inevitable," Ari said firmly.

"No! I wont let my son go through that kind of pain. Hasn't he been through enough already?" Leo exclaimed shaking his head violently.

"It's a necessary evil. If Chris is to face his ultimate destiny and survive it, he needs to utilize his experiences from both lifetimes. Trying to save from short term pain, you may harm his chances of surviving the ultimate battle," Ari said in the same emotionless voice.

"Wait. Does that mean if Chris gets Perry's memories, he'll be able to defeat this big bad you keep talking about?" Leo asked the angel of destiny.

"No. I'm saying he won't survive if he doesn't get those memories back," Ari corrected him. Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Leo asked.

"All you can do is be there for your son and help him through it all," Ari responded with a hint of sadness on his face.

"I need to tell Piper and the sisters about it," Leo said rushing towards the door.

"It is your decision whether you tell them or not. I cannot sway you one way or another. Keep in mind. Chris is going to get his memories back; it's a part of his destiny and you cannot change it. If you fail to handle the situation with the sisters properly, they might do something they'll regret later. You must trade very carefully," that said, the angel of destiny disappeared.

* * *

><p>The brothers rematerialized in the great hall of magic school. Wyatt was looking at Chris with raised eyebrows. He didn't understand why his little brother had dragged them to the magic school.<p>

"Oh come on. You heard what Ari said. I need to practice using my sword. And you could vent all your aggression too. Go on. Summon Excalibur," Chris said while summoning the Equalizer to his hands. Wyatt looked at him astonished. Wyatt had been practicing for sword fighting since he was a teenager. Although Piper hadn't allowed him to use the Excalibur till he was eighteen, Leo had convinced her to let him learn the basics, first using wooden sword replicas and then non-magical but real swords. Of course, Chris was his default sparring partner. Initially Chris was a little reluctant to learn sword fighting. It was necessary for Wyatt; he was the master of the Excalibur after all. But he hadn't inherited any such toy. It would only make him acutely aware of the fact that his brother was a prophesized child while he was not. Unknown to anyone, Ari had employed a muse to inspire Chris to learn sword fighting with his brother. Their sibling rivalry and Chris's need to prove himself took care of the rest. Soon enough, Chris was as good at fighting with a sword as Wyatt was, perhaps even better. Chris was the only one to ever truly pose a challenge for Wyatt. A smirk appeared on Wyatt's face as he summoned Excalibur.

The two began sparring like two seasoned warriors. It was a little difficult for Chris than it was for Wyatt. Wyatt only had to concentrate on his moves while Chris had to maintain his mental concentration to hold the shattered sword together in one piece. A couple of times, when Chris's concentration faltered, a few fragments of the Equalizer broke off. Chris quickly regained his composure and summoned the broken pieces back to their proper place without a moment's hesitation. The brother's were used to verbally insulting each other while practicing. The demons they had to fight didn't follow the rules or the code of honor. They didn't hesitate to taunt and verbally abuse their opponents in order to shake their concentration. With years of practice, Chris and Wyatt had learned not to take the bait and give in to annoyance or blind rage.

"Oh come on Chrissie or should I say sissy. Grandma Patty can do better than that," Wyatt teased his baby brother as Chris missed his opportunity to score a hit on Wyatt. There was no point denying the fact that he was getting tired. Wyatt had always been more muscular and powerful than his skinny little brother. Although Chris often outlasted his big brother, it had little to do with his physical strength or lack there of and more to do with sheer willpower. Wyatt often gave up when things got too difficult while Chris was always unrelenting.

"Take that, daddy's girl. Ready to give up yet? All you have to do is fall on your knees and beg for mercy," Chris retorted as he successfully scored a hit on Wyatt and dodged his subsequent attack. Wyatt hissed in pain as a gash appeared on his left bicep.

"Are those tears in your eyes, I knew you were a crybaby but this is pathetic," Chris taunted again. For any outsider this kind of exchange would make it look like the two hated each other's guts. The truth, however, was far from it. As soon as they put the swords down, they were back to being best friends. With their brotherly link, always they knew how the other one is feeling about them. As a result they never once needed to apologize for all the nasty things they said to each other. The first time Piper had come to magic school to see her boys sparring, she was shocked after hearing the verbal abuse. She had grounded both of them for two weeks. It painfully reminded her of the fact that in another timeline, her boys probably fought like this for real. That was the first and last time she even considered watching one of their sparring sessions. Chris's comment hit too close to home and Wyatt responded viciously.

"Just be glad that I'm not using any of my real powers, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. I'll wipe the floor with your ass," Wyatt retorted as he caused Chris to loose his footing and fall to ground. For a moment Chris's inferiority complex took control and his concentration faltered. It was enough for the sword to shatter. To his surprise, instead of falling to ground like he had expected, the pieces of the sword continued flying towards Wyatt like a swarm of bees. Wyatt quickly ducked and fell to ground to avoid being impaled by thousands of metal shards.

"What the hell?" Wyatt exclaimed as the swarm of shards turned around to strike him again. By this time however, Chris had regained his composure and was back in control. He quickly threw out his hands and telekinetically pushed the rapidly approaching shards away from his fallen brother. Smaller shards embedded themselves in the door behind while the larger ones punched large gaping holes in it. Both, Wyatt and Chris, were sweating profusely and panting, trying to catch their breath. Wyatt stared at Chris disbelievingly.

"Sorry," Chris said sheepishly. He willed all the shards back to him and reassemble into the sword.

"What the hell was that?" Wyatt asked again. Chris looked thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed by now. He had lost control and it had nearly cost his brother his life. Well, not really because they couldn't die at magic school and Chris could have healed him easily but it would have hurt like hell.

"May be, its another unification. My telekinesis combined with the control of the sword. I mean if I can combine telekinesis with healing to have remote healing, it would make sense if I can combine telekinesis with the sword to form a swarm of flying metal shards," Chris responded logically. Wyatt felt another pang of jealousy but quickly pushed it aside.

"Dude! This is huge. Do you realize what you can do with that in a battle if you gain complete control over it?" Wyatt said amazed. But Chris's eyes showed signs of trepidation. Wyatt frowned.

"If I cannot control it, it could hurt one of you guys," Chris expressed his fear. Wyatt shook his head.

"That is true for any of our powers. With a stray blast of telekinesis you could break our bones or cause internal bleeding. That's why we practice. Chris you need to at least give it a try. This could prove to be a huge advantage," Wyatt responded. Chris wasn't entirely convinced but decided not to say anything more about it at the moment. Instead he diverted his attention to Wyatt's wounds.

"That looks nasty," he said as he healed the gash on Wyatt's arm from three feet away.

"Show off," Wyatt quipped.

"I learned from the best," Chris said smirking as Wyatt approached him to heal his scrapes and bruises in the conventional short distance healing.

"I think that's enough for today. Let's go home," Wyatt said. Chris nodded in approval before the two orbed away.

* * *

><p>"We should head home," Paige said after they were done with the snacks Piper had whipped up.<p>

"What are you going to do about dinner?" Piper asked. Paige rolled her eyes knowing very well that Piper already knew the answer.

"We'll probably defrost something," Paige said and a sense of dread spread across Junior's face. He was about to protest but Phoebe beat him to it.

"We should probably head home too. I'm going to prepare that new Ethiopian recipe I learned from my colleague at the 'Bay Mirror'. You guys are welcome to join us. I'm sure you guys will love it," Phoebe said.

"No!" came the frantic yet united response from Junior, Reese and Prue. Phoebe narrowed her eyes and dared her children to say something about her cooking skills.

"I think we should stay here and wait for Wy. You know, to make sure he's OK," Junior decided to resist the urge to comment on Phoebe's cooking. Reese and Prue nodded in agreement vehemently. Piper chuckled.

"It's alright girls. I was about to start dinner. I wouldn't mind a few more at my table. Besides, after the day I've had, I could use some distraction and some much needed company of my whole family," Piper came to her niece and nephew's rescue. Phoebe looked at her with a raised eyebrow but then nodded in agreement. Truth be told, she wasn't a big fan of her own cooking either. A sigh of relief escaped Junior's mouth and it was Paige's turn to scowl. Chris and Wyatt orbed in at that very moment. Wyatt avoided looking anyone in the eye but Chris gave Piper a knowing smile that clearly said 'don't worry mom, everything is under control'. This eased her worries a little bit.

"So, what's for dinner?" Chris decided to break the awkward silence.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Eighth chapter. <strong>

**Kindly read and review.**


	10. Five Little Peanuts

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed last chapter.

I'm sorry for the delayed posting. Past couple of weeks have been hectic for me. Unfortunately next two are not likely to be any different. So it might a while before I post another update. I hope you all enjoy this chapter too.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Five Little Peanuts<strong>

It had been about a week since the sisters were forced to reveal one of their best-kept secrets. Despite the upheaval it had caused, the life was almost back to normal for the Halliwells. Chris had been handling the situation remarkably well. Since he didn't have the memory of the events in the past or the alternate future, it was little more to him than the WWII stories he had heard from his dad. It was next to impossible for him to imagine his goofball of a big brother as an evil tyrant; so within a few hours of knowing the truth, he had given up on the attempt. He'd just appeared for his anatomy exam and despite all the chaos in his family, he knew he'd done well. Wyatt's state of mind was a whole different ballgame. Chris was a bit worried about his big brother and with good reasons. Ever since the truth came out, he'd been acting very un-Wyatt like. His over apologetic 'I'm so sorry kitten, I was a horrible brother and you had to die to save me' way of treating his little brother was getting a little annoying. What worried Chris the most was that Wyatt didn't seem to understand or accept the fact that none of this was his fault.

The twice-blessed witch's behavior towards his parents was another cause of worry. Generally speaking, Wyatt was very forgiving and compassionate. Chris, just like his mother, had been known for holding a grudge on occasions but never Wyatt. But the recent revelations about their past and alternate future had pushed him over the edge. He wasn't disrespectful or offensive towards his parents but was rather cold and distant. Over the past week Piper hadn't managed to get more than monosyllabic answers from her first born. It was hurting the two parents noticeably but Wyatt couldn't seem to care less. Today was no different.

"Wyatt, honey, would you like another pancake?" Piper asked hopefully. Last night, Chris and Wyatt had stayed at the manor to research on the new source. Recently she had been feeling that her eldest son couldn't stand to be around her anymore. The fact that he agreed to stay at the manor was a good sign.

"Nope," Wyatt responded. Piper did her best to hide her disappointment and turned her gaze towards Carver. He smiled at her reassuringly and nodded in answer to her unspoken question. After his kidnapping weeks earlier, Wyatt refused to let him stay alone at their apartment. Carver had reminded him that he was not a child and that he didn't appreciate being treated like an invalid. After receiving a pleading look from Piper, Leo and Chris, he had given in and stayed at the manor. If this helped Piper and Leo to bridge the gap between themselves and their son, he would tolerate Wyatt's over-protective behavior.

"Dan called. He needed someone to help him out at the club. Do you think you can drop by P3 and see what he needs?" Piper asked serving another pancake to Carver.

"Sure," Wyatt answered in a tone that didn't invite further conversation. Chris had entered the kitchen at the moment. Piper quickly turned around not wanting her peanut to see the anguish in her eyes. But Chris knew exactly what was going on and decided to help out.

"Mom, I know I promised you to help you with cleaning the attic but I've got this really important test and I need to study," Chris said and a smug smile appeared on Carver's face.

"_Studying_ eh? With Catherine, I presume? " Carver broadcast telepathically to Wyatt and Chris. Wyatt chuckled and Chris narrowed his eyes.

"None of your business," Chris thought in his mind making sure Carver heard it.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Carver asked, again telepathically, thoroughly enjoying Chris's discomfort. Piper was keenly observing the changing expression on her son's face.

"Hey. No telepathy at the table," She warned Carver raising her index finger. Carver raised his hands in capitulation.

"As I was saying, I have to study. But may be Wy can help you. Wy? Could you do that for me, please?" Chris asked looking at Wyatt expectantly. Wyatt seemed unsure for a moment. He wasn't ready to have a heart to heart with his mother yet. At the same time, he didn't want to disappoint his little brother. Chris knew that in his current state of mind, Wyatt wouldn't dream of denying any of his requests. He felt a little dirty for using his brother's unreasonable guilt regarding Perry, but if it helped his mom and dad reconcile with their son, he would do it. After a moment of indecision, Wyatt nodded affirmative. Piper silently thanked her youngest as he orbed out to meet Catherine.

* * *

><p>"I have already planted the visions for the empathic members of the Halliwell family. Is the plan of action clear to everyone?" the source said to a group of dark-lighters; upper and lower level demons, explaining them this strategy to get Chris. The creatures nodded, those who had necks did anyway, in agreement.<p>

"Yes sire. We'll do as you command," the demons said in almost unison. A satisfied smirk appeared on the source's face. Chris had earned himself quite the reputation down in the underworld and the demons were more than willing to do the source's bidding if it meant one of their biggest enemies would bite the dust. The word about the new power of two had spread like a wildfire in the underworld and everyone who was already afraid of Wyatt, was now terrified of the brothers together.

"Good. Remember. This time, just like last time, 'the Catalyst' is the primary target. Do not fail me like Dumat did. The consequences would be grave indeed," the source warned.

"I have to admit that I cannot guarantee success of this mission, as its outcome is still obscure to me. But so many demons just to get the poor little brother? Isn't it a bit of overkill?" The seer asked, astonished.

"Ah. You make the classic mistake of underestimating young Christopher and the Halliwells in general. I have worked with them. Trust me, they are a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to one of their own. There is no room for error on this one," the source said with a serious face. The seer simply nodded.

* * *

><p>Coop was passing by Reese's room and heard some noises. He knocked on the door but there was no response. Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door as silently as possible. Reese was tossing and turning in his bed, apparently having a nightmare. His sheets were drenched in sweat and his contorted face told his father that whatever he was seeing wasn't pleasant. Coop sat down on the bed besides his son and considered waking him up. He gently brushed aside strands of hair that clung to Reese's forehead.<p>

"Dad! No!" Reese screeched in an unnatural voice. Coop held his son's hand in his own and attempted to wake him up.

"Reese, buddy, wake up. It's all right. It's just a nightmare. I'm right here. Wake up," Coop said shaking his son gently by the shoulder. Reese woke up with a start and instinctively scrambled away from the person in front of him. Coop continued to soothe him. Within a few moments, the fact that his father was alive and well, registered in Reese's mind.

"Dad! You're OK. Thank god, you're OK," Reese said hugging his father tightly as if he would instantly vanish if he let go. Coop rubbed comforting circles on his son's back and reassured him that he was indeed OK.

"It's OK, buddy. It was just a nightmare," Coop said as he led his son to the bathroom. Reese splashed some cold water on his face and dried himself with the towel handed to him by his dad. He was feeling ashamed because of the whole episode. Without another word he returned to his room and pulled on a shirt. Suddenly his attention was drawn to his dad's shirt.

"Dad! Your shirt!" Reese exclaimed as a look of utter horror crossed his face. Coop looked down at his grey t-shirt but didn't find anything out of ordinary.

"What about it?" He asked his terrified son.

"It… It wasn't a nightmare. It was a vision. You were wearing the same shirt. And the demons attacked. They threw some exploding potion at you. We've to get mom and the aunts," Reese was clearly freaking out. He loved his father dearly and couldn't face the possibility that he could loose him.

"Reese. Calm down. If it was a vision, it means we're meant to change its outcome. It's a good thing that we know what to expect. Why don't you go to the manor and fill your aunt Piper in? Start looking through the book. I'll get your mom and be there as soon as we can. Don't worry. I'm going to be alright," Coop said in an attempt to calm his son down. Reese nodded and immediately teleported to the manor.

* * *

><p>"I missed you," Catherine said throwing her arms around Chris's neck before kissing him passionately. Chris had never rushed in a relationship before but somehow it seemed different with Catherine. Although they hadn't explicitly talked about being together and a couple, it seemed inevitable considering the way things were going.<p>

"I missed you too," Chris said pulling her even closer. The light aroma of her dark hair filled his nostrils as he slid his arms around the small of her back. A soft moan escaped his throat as she slid her hand underneath his shirt. She then slowly pulled away with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. She held his right hand with her left and began pulling him towards her bedroom.

"So, what do you have in mind," Chris asked with raised eyebrows. But the grin on his face told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. He wanted her to say it out loud.

"I can think of a few things," She answered vaguely. The smile on Chris's face was replaced by frustration as he heard his mother's voice ring through his head.

"Perfect," Chris said sarcastically. Although that was exactly the response Catherine had expected from the man, his tone suggested anything but the anticipation and glee she was used to hear from guys in his situation.

* * *

><p>"Christopher Perry Halliwell, you get your catalytic ass back to the manor right now," Piper bellowed as she frantically searched through the cabinets for some burdock root. Wyatt, Junior and Paige had orbed in at her first call but not Chris. Suddenly, her ears began buzzing with what appeared to be millions of tiny bells ringing at a great distance. She clutched her head in an attempt to cope with the unpleasant feeling.<p>

"What the hell was that? Did he just jingle me? What the hell am I supposed to do with a jingle?" Piper was beyond pissed by the action. Junior chuckled.

"It's one of his annoying elder powers. It usually means 'I'm busy. So piss off' when he does that to me. But I'm sure he didn't mean it that way when he jingled you," Junior amended his statement after looking at Piper's expression.

"May be we should try calling him on the cell phone," Paige suggested flipping through the book as Reese tried to identify his dad's assailants. Without another word Piper grabbed the handset and dialed Chris's number.

"You will answer your phone if you know what's good for you, Christopher," Piper warned her son in a no-nonsense tone. She knew her son had heard her. It worried her a little as this behavior was so unlike Chris.

* * *

><p>Coop was seriously worried by now. He found his wife in a similar state as his son. He was in the middle of explaining to her about Reese's vision as she was folding some laundry. As soon as she touched one of the shirts in the pile, she was sucked in a vision. Coop rushed to his wife and put an arm firmly around her to support her crumpling body. Although years of receiving disturbing visions had prepared her for anything the demonic world could throw at her, the horror of current vision was clear on her face.<p>

"It's not just you. They are going after Henry as well," Phoebe said finally. But then her brows furrowed in confusion.

"What is it?" Coop asked.

"Why did I get a vision about Henry when I touched one of your shirts?" She asked, confusion evident in her voice. Coop looked at the shirt in her hands and shook his head.

"That's not my shirt," He said, clearly as confused as his wife.

"Then Reese's? But it's not the right size. Besides that wouldn't make sense either," Phoebe said further confused.

"Let's go to the manor. We can sort this out there. Take the shirt with you. You might need it for scrying or something," Coop suggested. Phoebe nodded as the two disappeared in pink light.

* * *

><p>Patty had been having this weird feeling of being watched. She was sitting in Evan's room, keeping an eye on his condition. Unfortunately, he was still unconscious and the doctors didn't have any idea about the true extent of injuries to his spine. Patty had been feeling guilty since Evan had received his injuries while trying to protect her. Eventually the feeling of unease was too much for her and she decided to investigate. She thoroughly searched the room, behind the curtains and windows. She peaked in the corridor but there was nothing out of ordinary. Nevertheless, she couldn't shake the feeling of being stalked. She's had time to come up with a spell and finally decided to use it.<p>

The feeling of unease I cannot shake

Stalker of mine's made a big mistake

I invoke the spirits to reveal the spy

But hide him well from a mortal's eye

The wall in front of her shimmered and revealed the face of a man in leather vest, typical attire of a lower level demon. Patty gasped at the sight and cursed herself for casting the spell before calling for backup. The demon however was equally surprised by the sudden exposure. Instead of attacking her, he shimmered away. Patty immediately called her brother on his cell phone to let him know of what had happened.

* * *

><p>All the Halliwells were now gathered at the manor including Chris. Phoebe had narrated the details of her vision and the family was discussing possible strategies for protecting the vulnerable members of their family.<p>

"You're right. It's Henry's shirt. I cannot imagine why it was at your place though," Paige observed.

"Well it's clearly a distraction. Someone planted that shirt at your place. No one in our house has any cognitive powers. If someone was to plant a premonition, they'll have to use either you or Reese," Junior observed.

"But it's blindingly obvious that it's a distraction. Gideon is smarter than that," Leo knew his old mentor well and couldn't believe for a moment that he would come up with such a ludicrous plan.

"Unless it was meant to distract us from the distraction itself," Chris said. His mind was working mile a minute.

"You mean like reverse psychology? Make us believe the attacks are distraction so we divert our attention on finding his real plan while he takes out uncle Coop and uncle Henry?" Wyatt asked to make sure he was following his brother's reasoning. Chris shook his head.

"No that's not what I meant, because it's not likely to work. Distraction or not, the threat is very real and we'll do everything in our power to protect our family. If this Gideon knows us that well, he must be well aware of it. I think he wants us to divide our attention and keep all of us thoroughly confused," Chris said.

"But given time we can figure out his endgame and then concentrate our efforts on stopping him," Piper said resolutely.

"Precisely. Given time we can. And time, if I'm reading the situation correctly, is something we may not have," Chris said with a grave expression.

"I'll go and get dad," Junior said but at the same moment his phone rang. It was Patty. After hearing her out, he promised her that someone would be there within moments.

"It was Patty. There was a demon in Evan's room. He didn't attack or anything but she believes he was spying," Junior explained.

"That son of a bitch! Sorry. But I better go there," Carver cursed but then apologized after looking at Piper's reprimanding look.

"Some one with active power has to be there. I'll go with you," Prue, who had arrived minutes ago, said linking arms with Carver without waiting for his response.

"Alright. Prue and Carver, go get Dan first and then go to Evan. He's in a public place so it's less likely that he'll be attacked but better safe than sorry. Junior, you go and fetch your dad. If Chris is right, they may attack any moment. If they do, you may need backup so I think Chris and Wyatt should go with you. We have Reese and the power of three here. I think we'll be able to handle things if they show up here," Piper took charge of the situation and issued orders to everyone. Prue had inherited her aunt Piper's molecular acceleration, Carver grabbed some potions and Dan had energy balls. Between the three of them with some help from Patty, they should be able to take care of the hospital front. Wyatt and Chris formed the power of two which, by now, had been established to be more effective than the power of three and Junior had the closest bond with the brothers so they were most effective together. Henry Sr. being a mortal, it naturally made sense to send the most powerful witches to protect him. The sisters were of course strongest at the manor. Everyone nodded and teleported out by their own means.

* * *

><p>Dan, Carver and Prue teleported into the ally behind the hospital and rushed to Evan's room. Patty was waiting anxiously for some backup. After the trio reached their destination, Patty explained all that had happened in the room minutes earlier.<p>

"But the demon didn't attack? Don't get me wrong. I'm glad he didn't. But isn't it a little odd?" Prue asked Patty who had regained her composure by now. Dan went through all the explanations he could come up with. His face scrunched, as none of the scenarios were pleasant.

"Do you have any idea if he was following you or was he stalking Evan?" Dan asked.

"I think he was stalking Evan. I only felt as if I was being watched while I was here. I felt it yesterday too but I thought I was just being paranoid. I didn't sense anything while I was home or on campus," Patty explained. Carver was thoughtful for a moment.

"May be it's the proof that the source is somehow involved. Why else would a demon be spying on Evan?" Carver observed. Dan nodded.

"I agree. May be I should snoop around in the underworld. With the description Patty has given us, it should be easy enough to track him down," Dan said. Prue shook her head.

"Not right now. At the moment, our task is to stay on our guard and fend off any demon attacks that may happen here. Once the demons after dad and uncle Henry are taken care of, we can plan a recon mission," Prue said firmly. Dan agreed, although reluctantly. Patty's eyes widened with fear. Her brother hadn't told her anything about the impending danger to their father.

"Someone's after dad?" She gasped. Prue, Dan and Carver gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Chris, Wy and Junior are there at your place. He couldn't be safer when three of the most powerful witches are protecting him. Not to mention Chris and Wy have the 'power of two' at their disposal. Don't worry, everything will be all right," Prue reassured her little cousin as she pulled her into a hug.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, the sisters had busied themselves preparing for the anticipated battle. Paige had just finished bottling up the last of the potions when Reese's eyes glazed over. He quickly came out of the vision and yelled.<p>

"Incoming. In ten seconds," He warned and the witches prepared for the onslaught. The first wave of demons struck. The attacking group consisted of several lower level demons a couple of upper level demons and a dark-lighter. Piper immediately began blowing up the lower level demons. There was nothing particularly threatening about those demons. By this time, any lower level demon was nothing more than minor nuisance for the Halliwell witches. But their sheer number proved to be a problem some times. So Piper immediately began working on reducing their numbers.

Phoebe kept her assailants at a safer distance with her martial arts training and levitation. No demon could come near enough to engage in hand-to-hand combat. But fireballs and energy balls were another matter. She was holding an atheme in her hand and threw it at one of the upper level demons. The blade embedded itself in his chest and ruptured his black heart. It didn't take long for him to reduce to a pile of ashes.

"Nicely done, sis…. Arrow!" Paige admired her big sister's handiwork before redirecting a dark-lighter arrow away from her.

"Aunt Paige, watch out," Reese warned as soon as he got a vision of a fireball speeding towards his unsuspecting aunt. His power as an oracle to see immediate future accurately came in handy in situations like this. He was standing behind the podium with his dad and throwing potions at any demon that dared to venture near them. Suddenly he got a vision of a dark-lighter arrow hitting his aunt Paige in the shoulder. He realized that she was the only healer currently in the manor and if the arrow found its target, her chances of survival were slim to none. He looked around for a weapon and found an arrow stuck in the wooden plank behind him. He quickly pulled out the arrow. He didn't have any white-lighter blood in him so it was safe unless he was fatally injured by it. Within a moment he teleported behind the dark-lighter and thrust the arrow in his back with deadly force. The dark-lighter never got a chance to aim at Paige again and within moments burst in flames.

"Good thinking!" Piper appreciated her nephew's wit and presence of mind. Unfortunately this left his father vulnerable for attack. The remaining upper level demon came too close to Coop for Reese's comfort. He quickly dashed towards his father. The demon had something in his hand that looked suspiciously like a potion vial. Before anyone knew what was happening, Reese jumped forward and pushed his father out of the way. Unfortunately, Coop outweighed his son considerably and Reese couldn't move out of the way quickly enough. The potion was about to hit him square in the chest when, out of desperation, Piper blew up the vial mid air. The potion exploded with a loud bang. Reese's scream of agony filled the attic and both Phoebe and Coop skipped a heartbeat. Paige immediately orbed the atheme Phoebe had used previously into the demon's chest and he was vanquished instantly. Piper had taken care of last of the demon in the manor and they rushed towards Reese who had fallen face down to the attic floor.

* * *

><p>Over at Paige's house, Henry Sr., who was blissfully unaware of the impending attack on his life, was surprised to see his son and nephews in a state of alarm.<p>

"Hey guys! What's going on?" He asked. Junior offered his father a hand before answering.

"No time to explain. We need to get you to the magic school," He said in a hurry. But before they could orb out, a group of demons shimmered in followed by four dark-lighters.

"Crap!" Junior exclaimed and hastily pushed his father to take cover behind the sofa. A barrage of fireballs followed and the three witches immediately went into battle mode. Considering the fact that all three of them had white-lighter blood in them, the dark-lighters were obviously higher priority.

"Odie! Cover me," Chris told Junior as he began reciting the dark-lighter vanquishing spell he had come up with a while ago. He simply had to alter the spell to vanquish four dark-lighters instead of three. There were four dark-lighters in the room now and they simply couldn't rely on the traditional method for vanquishing them. Junior nodded and began redirecting the arrows that were now raining over the three. Wyatt kept the demons busy with his seemingly limitless arsenal of offensive powers.

I call upon the ancient power

To help us in our darkest hour

Spirits of darkness, four of a kind

Destroy them now, body and mind

Sure enough, all of the dark-lighters burst out in flames and turned into piles of ashes.

"I'll have to remember that one," Junior said in amazement. Chris smiled at him and began frying demons with his elder bolts. Wyatt suddenly realized that there were two upper level demons that had shimmered in and he could only see one. He was fairly certain that nobody had vanquished the missing demon yet.

"Kitten, are we missing a demon?" He asked while flinging an energy ball at a nearby demon. Chris nodded and turned around. He found the missing demon that was hiding in the shadows in near the hallway. His momentary surprise at the demon's behavior quickly subsided as he realized that the demon was, in fact, chanting some incantation in some ancient language.

"Oh oh… Wy?" Chris said as he realized it was too late. Purple lights momentarily surrounded his whole body before dissipating into nothing.

"Are you alright?" Wyatt asked worried. Chris was confused for a moment.

"I'm not sure. I feel weird," He responded. Wyatt took care of the hidden demon with a well-aimed energy blast and turned his attention to the remaining three lower level demons that had ganged up on Junior. Chris pulled himself together and attacked the upper level demon. Chris stretched hands pushed the demon back into a wall with his telekinesis. Suddenly he noticed something weird about his palms.

"Wy. I think I'm shrinking," Chris said disbelievingly.

"What? What in hell?" Wyatt muttered as he witnessed Chris's changing appearance. Instead of his twenty-two year self, Chris looked like he was thirteen or something. Two of the three demons that had attacked Junior had been vanquished by now. The remaining demon, however, took advantage of the momentary distraction that Chris's apparent reducing age had caused and threw Junior into the table behind. Wyatt quickly threw an energy ball and vanquished him when he heard something he hadn't heard in some eighteen years.

"Mom! Wy Help!" came frantic scream of a scared child. Wyatt turned around to see a five-year-old Chris facing a large upper level demon holding some sort of potion vial. Time seemed to slow down as the vial was speeding towards his little brother.

"Chris! Orb!" Wyatt yelled reaching out his hands. Chris was frozen in place.

"Chris!" Junior used his telekinetic orbing to get his now little big cousin out of harms way. Chris's body was partially dissolved into blue and white orbs when the potion vial hit the floor. There was a large explosion and the orbs that surrounded Chris burst and scattered throughout the house.

"NO!" Wyatt bellowed and stretched out both his arms. An enormous blast of energy emanated from Wyatt's palms and consumed the demon whole. There was nothing left of the vile creature, not even ashes. Unimaginable fear came over Wyatt as he was reminded of the painful feeling he had when Turel had killed his little brother in the erased timeline. Wyatt's eyes frantically searched for Chris before a wave of relief flooded his mind. He heard his brother's call in his mind. Junior had heard him too as he stopped searching for him.

"He still sounds five. Did he have an echo?" Junior asked Wyatt, frown firmly in place. Wyatt frowned in concentration and nodded. He's still here but I can't get a fix on his location. It's really weird.

"Chris! You can come out now. It's OK. The demon is gone now," Junior reassured his cousin. To their astonishment two five-year-old versions of Chris walked out of the kitchen.

"Am I seeing two of him?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"More like five," Junior said pointing to the stairs.

"Oh oh…" Wyatt said with trepidation.

* * *

><p>"Reese, honey, wake up. You've to wake up," Phoebe's pleading wasn't having much effect on her unconscious son. The explosion had caused severe burns all over the front of his upper body. The potion had burned through his shirt and charred his skin. Paige immediately began healing; one hand hovering over his face and eyes, the other was over a nasty wound on his chest. Coop checked his pulse. Fortunately he was still alive. Soon the warm golden glow of Paige's healing touch spread over Reese's body and the burn marks began to disappear.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Phoebs. I had no idea it would explode like that," Piper was feeling guilty. Phoebe shook her head but Coop was first one to respond.

"No! If the mid-air explosion was this potent, I shudder to think what would have happened if it had hit him directly. There was nothing anyone else could have done in time. Piper, you probably saved his life," Coop said as all of the burn marks on Reese's body disappeared and he woke up with a start.

"Dad? Are you OK?" He said; fear laced his voice.

"I'm here bud. You got hurt saving my life. Your aunt Paige healed you," Coop said putting an arm around his son's shoulders. Reese's face was dark with worry.

"Why is it so dark? I can't see anything," To his parents, Reese's words felt like a ton of bricks hitting square in the head.

"Honey, it's daylight. Paige?" Phoebe looked at her sister expectantly. Paige's brow furrowed but she nodded and attempted to heal Reese's eyes. The golden glow flickered for a moment and disappeared. There was nothing more to heal. The cause of Reese's blindness was not because of any physical injury.

"It's not a physical injury. The potion must have some sort of enchantment on it that is causing the blindness. It's some magic; apparently resistant to white-lighter healing," Paige observed. Reese's face fell in disappointment. Phoebe let out a sob.

"I'm I going to be blind permanently?" Reese asked, his voice clearly showing fear and frustration.

"NO!" All three sisters said in unison. Piper immediately began searching through the book.

"There has to be something in here," she said getting frustrated too quickly.

"May be we can write a 'power of three spell' or may be Chris and Wyatt can heal him with their 'power of two.' We simply have too many powerful witches and white-lighters in our family to let this be permanent. Don't worry. We'll find a way. We always do," Paige reassured Reese, Phoebe and Coop collectively.

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Henry Sr. said as he came out from behind the sofa. All of the Chrises were watching all of them with apprehension, as they didn't recognize the adult versions of their big brother and little cousin. They knew they were good witches like their mom and aunts. The demons they had vanquished were proof enough. But they were still strangers. They also didn't understand why there were five of them. Their faces lit up as soon as they saw their uncle Henry.<p>

"Unkey Henry!" All of them yelled with relief, almost in unison and ran towards Henry Sr. who was shocked to see five five-year-old versions of his adult nephew clinging to his body. He lost his footing under the weight of five Chrises and fell on his backside, quite unceremoniously.

"Hey kitten! Or rather kittens. Is any of you hurt? Does anyone need healing?" Wyatt asked in the friendliest voice he could muster. All the Chrises shook their heads simultaneously.

"That's beginning to creep me out. It's like looking in one of those carnival mirrors," Junior said and all the Chrises narrowed their eyes. Even as a five year old, Chris's glare was enough to make Junior squirm. Henry Sr. chuckled at his son's reaction.

"Who are they, unkey Henry?" Chris asked his uncle who was, at the moment the only familiar face in the room.

"Believe it or not bud, I'm your big bro Wy. And this is your little cousin Junior," Wyatt said kneeling down to Chris's level. All the Chrises rolled their eyes. It was really funny albeit a bit creepy to see five identical five-year-olds achieving a perfect eye-roll.

"Nope. You're not," Chris who had hopped on his uncle's back said firmly. The rest of the Chrises nodded in agreement. Wyatt closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Chris was as stubborn as both their parents and he remembered that his five-year-old version was frustratingly stubborn. He wasn't sure how to convince him that he was indeed his big brother. Chris sitting in his uncle's lap stood up and explained their reasoning.

"Wy is this big and Junior is this big," He said raising one hand above his head and the other hovering near his chest.

"Dude, five minutes ago, you were six foot tall and twenty-two year old," Junior said with a lopsided smirk. All the Chrises raised their eyebrows. The one holding on to his uncle's left arm spoke up.

"Unkey Henry, did they hurt their head when the demon attacked?" he asked solemnly. Henry Sr. burst out laughing. Wyatt let out a frustrated grunt. He was just reminded of the fact that his little brother had a smart mouth on him even at the age of five.

"Chris, look around you. How many of you do you see? Is that a normal thing?" Junior asked logically. Chris didn't answer. There was certainly something wrong about having five versions of himself walking around.

"So, you're really Wy and Junior? Prove it," Chris that was holding on to his uncle's right hand challenged. Wyatt was thoughtful for a moment before the proverbial light bulb lit over his head.

"Chris, you share a link with your Wy, yes?" Wyatt asked. It was easier for him to address only one of them at the moment. All five of them nodded. Wyatt momentarily closed his eyes and told him about an incident that had occurred when Chris was about four. Chris had accidently orbed a two year old Henry Jr. to the roof of the manor. Wyatt, who had better control over his telekinetic orbing by the time, had brought him back before anything bad happened. Junior was too young to tell anyone about it and Wyatt had promised his brother not to tell anyone. The adults never found out about the whole episode. Chris's eyes, all ten of them at the moment, widened in surprise when they heard the adult Wyatt narrating the whole incident through the shared link.

"How did you know about that? It was a secret between me and Wy," Chris claimed suspiciously.

"Because I'm your Wy. You know I wouldn't tell that to anyone else," Wyatt said. Chris was thoughtful for a moment before he nodded in acceptance. Wyatt let out a sigh of relief.

"We better take this mess back to the manor," Junior said. He was worried how his aunt Piper was going to react but there was no point in procrastinating.

"Alright Chrissie. Can you orb back to the manor?" Wyatt asked. All the Chrises nodded but only one of them orbed. The remaining four closed their eyes very hard in concentration but nothing happened.

"This is worse than I thought," Wyatt observed looking at the apprehension on the four little faces.

"Chris, try to use your telekinesis, one by one," Junior instructed pointing at a door. First Chris waved his hand but nothing happened. Second one tried. Again, nothing happened. Third one successfully closed the door with his power and smiled triumphantly. The fourth Chris accidently let loose some elder bolts that incinerated the door and the table near it. This scared all the occupants of the room, as Chris didn't have that power until he was much older and as such had no control over it. As a matter of fact, Chris had almost barbequed Junior, Wyatt and uncle Coop when he first developed that particular power at the age of twelve. Chris stumbled backward, realizing what he had just done and bumped into Wyatt.

"Hey kitten, it's OK. It wasn't your fault," Wyatt said soothingly as he knelt down to Chris's level. Chris threw his arms around Wyatt's neck and began sobbing uncontrollably in his brother's chest.

"I… I'm so… so… sorry. I… I… didn't mean…" Chris's explanations came muffled and broken. Wyatt kept patting the back of his little brother's head as he spoke soothing words in his ear.

"It's alright Chrissie. Look," Junior said as he cast his mom's legendary spell to cleanup the mess. The whole room was back to normal.

"Alright. Lets go home," Wyatt said picking up two of his little brothers with two hands and signaled Junior to do the same. Junior picked up one Chris and held his dad's hand while his dad picked up the remaining one. Together they orbed to the manor.

* * *

><p>"Mom!" came a frantic cry of a child. Piper was startled. She hadn't heard that voice in more than a decade. She closed the book with a slam and rushed to the door. Phoebe and Coop remained in the attic reassuring their son that everything was going to be all right. Paige followed Piper downstairs.<p>

"Mommy!" Chris chirped happily as he saw his mother and hugged her middle tightly. Piper was too stunned to say anything but her motherly instinct kicked in and she picked up her precious little peanut and settled him on her hip. Paige's jaw dropped to ground as she saw Piper comforting her five year old nephew who should have been twenty-two. Chris kept chattering excitedly about adult Wyatt and Junior and there being five of himself. Most of it didn't really register with Piper as she gazed at her sister disbelievingly.

"This cannot be happening," Piper muttered as she heard the end of Chris's sentence 'five of me'.

"Peanut, sweetie, did you just say five of you?" Piper asked looking him in the eye. Chris nodded solemnly.

"We should call Wyatt and …" before Paige could finish her sentence, two sets of orbs filled the conservatory and coalesced into her son, husband, Wyatt and four more Chrises.

"Anyone want to sign for these?" Junior asked mischievously.

"Junior!" Henry Sr. admonished his son. Paige and Piper were too shocked to appreciate the dry humor. Wyatt, Junior and Henry Sr. put down their cargo gently on the ground. All the Chrises ran to their mother.

"We need to call Arrazigal," Junior said. Wyatt nodded and called the angel of destiny by his name. He wasn't sure if they needed to summon him because so far Ari had simply shown up exactly when they needed him. Within moments white orbs swirled around the middle of the room and coalesced into Sandra.

"The angel of destiny is occupied at the moment. He asked me to help you in any capacity that I can," Sandra said to Wyatt who simply pointed to the five Chrises.

"Oh! What happened?" Sandra asked, her voice calm as ever. Wyatt and Junior filled them in on what had transpired at Paige's place. Sandra's expression turned grave.

"Its Gideon's doing. I don't think he meant to split him in five but he certainly wanted him five," Sandra observed.

"What? Why?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"A child's mind is very impressionable. If the source were to break Arrazigal's memory-binding spell when Chris's an adult, he would be able to cope with all the terrible memories he would receive. It would actually make him emotionally stronger and more knowledgeable. On the other hand, if the memories are unleashed while he's a child, it would scar him for life and it may weaken the bond you two share. I believe that's his motivation behind today's attacks, weakening or destroying the power of two. Him splitting in five versions might merely be an unforeseen consequence of mixing the white-lighter and demon magic," Sandra explained. The expression on Piper face turned to that of murderous rage and suddenly, all the glass panels of the entire floor shattered into pieces.

"Get Leo from magic school," Paige instructed her son who promptly orbed away. Paige sat besides her big sister and attempted to calm her down. Phoebe, who had heard the shattering glasses, had rushed down.

"What happened? I heard…" She asked but was stunned into silence as she saw five Chrises. Leo arrived within a moment. Wyatt and Junior filled them in.

"Wyatt, honey, I know Chris is a little indisposed at the moment but do you think you two can help Reese?" Phoebe asked still concerned about her boy.

"What's wrong with Reese?" Wyatt asked having no idea about what had transpired in the manor. Wyatt's face darkened with worry when Phoebe explained the situation.

"We can try aunt Phoebs. But Chris's powers are a bit scattered right now. So I'm not sure if it'll work," Wyatt told his aunt.

"What do you mean scattered?" Phoebe asked.

"His powers appear to be split in five as well," Wyatt said.

"I believe when Chris was split in five, so were his powers. That's why only one of them can orb, one has telekinesis, one has electro-kinesis, one has control of the Equalizer and only one can heal," Sandra interjected. Phoebe's face fell in disappointment.

"Lets try and reunite them. A 'power of three' spell should work. Don't you think?" Paige said. Piper nodded. After a few failed attempts at the unifying spell and fruitless searches in the book, the sisters realized that their task wasn't that simple. Everyone was now looking at Sandra expectantly who shook his head.

"There has to be a way to reverse it but I'm afraid I don't know it. It is up to you to figure that one out. In the mean while I would suggest you protect young Christopher from any and all of Gideon's minions. Whatever happens, you do not want Chris to have his memories while he's a child. That should be your highest priority. Incidentally, good luck," Sandra said before disappearing in blue and white orbs. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Typical," She muttered.

"Well, there's no harm in trying with the Chris that can heal," Wyatt said turning to his five little brothers. He was confused once again. All of them were identical.

"How do we know which one can heal?" He asked no one in particular.

"Firstly, I think we need to find a way to identify them. Raise your hand if you can orb," Junior said looking at the five Chrises. One Chris and Wyatt raised their hand.

"Not you, you moron," Junior said to Wyatt and gestured the orbing Chris near him.

"From now on, up until we find a way to reunite you, you'll be Chris," Junior said as he placed his hand over the little boy's shirt. It glowed white momentarily and the name 'Chris' appeared in yellow embroidery on his shirt.

"Cool," Chris said.

"The one with telekinesis," Junior said. Another Chris stood up.

"You, my dear little big cousin, are going to be Kitten," he said as the word 'Kitten' appeared on his shirt. He repeated the procedure with Chris with elder bolts. He was named Sparky.

"He's so going to kill you Odie," Wyatt said with a wicked smile. Junior simply rolled his eyes.

"Now lets see who can heal," Junior said taking off his shirt and exposing a nasty looking bruise on the bottom of the left side of his ribcage that extended all the way to his left shoulder. Wyatt was about to admonish him for not telling him earlier but Junior waved him off.

"It looks worse than it actually is," Henry Jr. said as he encouraged one of the remaining Chrises to attempt to heal.

"But I… I can't heal. Only Wy and aunt Paige can," one Chris said sadly. Henry Jr. shook his head.

"Yes, one of you two can. Look you didn't have the power to make lightening until you were much older. I'm betting if Sparky can make lighting bolts, one of you can heal. Now come on. I know you want me to feel better. Just try it," Junior said encouragingly. One of the two Chrises stepped forward hesitantly and held his little hands over Junior's chest. Within moment, the golden glow appeared and Chris healed his little big cousin. The bruise on Junior's body disappeared, as if it was never there. A wide grin appeared on he little boy's face as he invited himself to sit in Junior's lap.

"You, my friend, are Perry," Junior said as he put the nametag on the boy's shirt before turning to the last one.

"And you, my sword bearing friend, what would you like to be called?" Junior asked.

"Sir Christopher," the little boy answered solemnly. Everyone in the room burst out laughing despite the difficult situation. As children, when the cousins used to play castle, Wyatt, of course, would be king Arthur while the rest of the cousins would assume the roles of the knights of the round table. Wyatt smiled mischievously and summoned Excalibur.

"I dub thee, knight of the Halliwell manor. Rise, Sir Christopher," Wyatt said gently touching Chris's shoulders with the tip of the sword. Even Phoebe, who had been worried sick about her son the whole time, couldn't help but chuckle. A wide grin appeared on Sir Christopher's face while Chris, Kitten, Sparky and Perry pouted, as they didn't get to be a knight.

"Oh come on little brother. You know I love you all just the same. Now, hop on. We've a cousin to heal," Wyatt said turning around and kneeling in front of Perry who promptly hopped on his big brother's back. Phoebe and the rest followed the two upstairs.

* * *

><p>Dan, Prue, Patty and Carver were waiting around Evan's room, anxious about the impending attack. But nothing happened. After waiting for about an hour, Dan was getting restless.<p>

"I doubt they're going to attack here. I mean if they had planned to, they would have by now. I should go down there and investigate Evan's stalker. We're loosing precious time. Besides, if something happens, I'm just a shimmer away," Dan said finally. Not having white-lighter blood in him, Dan couldn't hear any calls but Carver could always communicate with him using his telepathy.

"I'm coming with you," Prue said matter-of-factly. Dan shook his head vehemently.

"No! You need to stay here. You're the only one besides Chris, Wy and Junior who has the power to summon me when I'm down there, if I'm trapped or otherwise can't hear Carver's message. Besides, Chris and Wy would vanquish my ass if anything happens to you. No no no no no. You're going to stay here," Dan said with a touch of finality. Before Prue had a chance to argue Dan shimmered away.

"Damn you, Walker!" Prue cursed. She paced around the room as Carver and Patty watched her temper flare in mild amusement.

"Tell him that I'm perfectly capable of vanquishing his half demon ass myself," Prue told Carver. There was no point in arguing with her so carver relayed her message to her lover. The telepath chuckled as he heard Dan's response.

"What did he say?" Prue asked, her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared.

"Ah… He thinks you look hot when you threaten to vanquish him," Carver said with a grin.

"Aaghhh. He's so infuriating. I need some air. Call me if you need me," Prue said clenching her fists before walking out of the room. She could feel her anger towards Dan subsiding by the second. But she was now getting angry with herself for not being able to be properly pissed at her charming boyfriend.

* * *

><p>The strong bond Wyatt and Chris shared had developed over two decades and as of now the bond between five-year-old Perry and adult Wyatt was not nearly as strong as they needed it to be. Perry touched his big brother's shoulder and closed his eyes tightly in concentration. The golden light flickered for a few moments and then vanished. Wyatt was disappointed and so was Perry.<p>

"Hey. It's OK. It's not your fault. Don't worry about anything. We'll find a way," Wyatt said reassuring his little brother. Perry nodded weakly and hugged his big brother. Wyatt could feel that Perry trusted him now and the bond between the two was strengthening. Unfortunately it was a long way from what the 'power of two' would need.

"May be it'll work if all of them try together. I mean Perry is just one fifth of Chris. It's supposed to be power of two, not power of one-point-two," Junior suggested. Phoebe, being a bit weak at math, raised her eyebrows.

"One-point-two?" She asked naïvely.

"One plus one fifth is one-point-two," Junior explained.

"Oh. I guess it's worth a shot," Phoebe said sheepishly, feeling a bit embarrassed for forgetting basic fractions. Wyatt motioned Chris, Kitten, Sparky, Perry and Sir Christopher to move closer to him. He than instructed them to concentrate just as Perry had. Wyatt attempted to heal once again. This time the golden light sustained longer. After about a minute and half of healing Reese cried in excitement.

"I can see light. It's not as dark anymore," he said squeezing his dad's hand. A hopeful smile appeared on everyone's face. Unfortunately, the healing glow died once again.

"What happened? Is he healed completely?" Phoebe asked impatiently.

"I can see the light. I can make out the shapes and sizes of things but everything is still fuzzy. I can't recognize the faces," Reese sounded disappointed. Wyatt tried once again but to no avail.

"I don't think Reese's eyesight is going to improve any further at the moment," Leo observed.

"Why not?" Phoebe asked disappointed.

"The strength of power of two comes from the strength of brotherly bond Wyatt and Chris share. We may see better results once we figure out how to change Chris back," Leo clarified.

"So turning Chris into an adult is our first task. Unifying him has lesser priority," Wyatt concluded.

"No, actually, protecting him from Gideon while we fix his age is the most important task," Junior corrected his big cousin.

"But protecting five of them is very difficult. So may be putting humpty-dumpty back together should have higher priority," Paige earned a death glare from Piper for her unseemly comment.

"How did he do it, exactly? I mean reducing Chris's age," Leo asked.

"I'm not sure. He was chanting some spell or something in an unknown language," Wyatt answered.

"Was he surrounded in some kind of purple light before he turned into a five-year-old?" Leo asked, concern apparent on his face.

"Yes. How did you know? Do you know what it is? How do we reverse it?" Wyatt bombarded his father with questions. Leo's face darkened with worry.

"It's called 'Hespith's ritual'. It's a demonic spell version of the 'fountain of youth'. There is no known way to reverse its effect. The good news is that, unlike the effect of the water from the fountain, which is permanent, the spell wears off after a specific amount of time, usually between twenty-four to seventy-two hours depending upon the strength of the caster's magic. Which means we merely have to wait for the effects to wear off and Chris should be back to being twenty-two. The bad news is that this means Gideon has uncovered the grimoire," Leo explained.

"Well then, we divide and conquer. I think Mom, aunt Piper and aunt Phoebe are most qualified for protecting Chris, Kitten and Sir Christopher. Sparky and Perry seem to get along with Wy, so may be he can protect those two…" Junior said but was cut off midsentence by Wyatt.

"But I want to help with the research," Wyatt wasn't exactly happy with the prospect of babysitting his five-year-old brothers.

"No offence intended Wy, but you're not exactly the researching type. You're more of a brawn than a brain," Junior said and Wyatt glared at him for essentially calling him a meathead.

"And why do I get two of them?" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"Because, dear cousin, you're the only one with a shield," Junior explained as if he was talking to someone incredibly dense.

"Actually, that's a great idea, Wyatt. With your shield, you can actually take care of all five of them. Considering the fact that Chris is a momma's boy, Piper can help. Myself, Phoebe and Odie can do the research," Paige suggested. Piper's eyes lightened up with hope. This would mean Wyatt would have to interact with her. That could prove to be the first step towards mending their relationship. Wyatt wasn't too happy about the turn of events but considering the situation they were in, he agreed reluctantly.

"I'm going to stay with you," Sparky said to Junior as he hopped on his back. Junior was about to object but one look in Sparky's hopeful green eyes and he knew he had lost the argument already.

"Alright. If Wy and aunt Piper are babysitting four of you then I guess it's only fair that I take care of one of you. But we have some rules. Firstly, we have to stick together no matter what. And secondly, keep your hands close to your body at all the times. I don't want to be barbequed, again," Junior said shuddering at the memory of being at the receiving end of Chris's elder bolts when he first developed this power. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"Why not take them all to the magic school?" Wyatt suggested. Leo shook his head.

"Gideon was the headmaster of the magic school for over a century. If anyone can breach the defenses at magic school, it's him. Considering the fact that all of you are strongest at the manor, he may be more secure here than anywhere else," Leo said logically.

"OK People. Chop chop," Piper said clapping her hands. Wyatt and Piper gathered Chris, Kitten, Perry and Sir Christopher and headed downstairs while Junior and Sparky began going through the book.

"Leo, two of us can go and get my daughters and then go to magic school to try and find out how to reverse Gideon's magic that split one of my favorite nephews in five," Paige said before orbing away with her brother in law.

"Honey, can you look after Reese? I'll go downstairs and start working on a potion for him that might help," Phoebe asked her husband and headed downstairs as he nodded in understanding.

* * *

><p>Prue didn't even see the demon shimmering behind her. He had been watching her for some time and silently approached her with a carved wooden staff in his hand. He struck Prue from behind and she was knocked unconscious without a fight. The demon shimmered away with her limp body in his hands.<p>

* * *

><p>"Oh crap," Dan muttered as he found himself ambushed by a hoard of demons. It was supposed to be a simple recon mission but Dan soon realized that it was a trap. He cursed himself for walking straight into it. He began flinging energy balls left and right but the overwhelming number of his assailants told him that his chances of getting out of this one alive were slim to none. Suddenly he felt searing pain in his stomach and the warm trickle of blood soaking his shirt.<p>

"Carv. It's a trap and I'm stuck. I don't think I'm getting out of this in one piece," he thought in his mind. Carver was the telepath not him. So he couldn't initiate a dialogue. He only hoped that Carver had kept their communication channel open and had heard him before that darkness took over.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Ninth chapter. <strong>

**Kindly read and review.**


	11. The Devil's Advocate

**Author's Notes:** Firstly I would like to apologize to my readers for the delayed update. It was the end of the semester and I found myself buried under tons of work. Rest assured, I will not abandon this story and I sincerely hope that you guys haven't either.

I can't believe the story has reached 100,000 words with this chapter and yet the end is not in sight.

Thank you monkey kix ass for reviewing the last chapter. I'm glad you liked the story so far. I'll do my best to keep it interesting.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Devil's Advocate<strong>

"Found something," Leo uttered going over the paragraph in one of the ancient books. Paige, Patty and Penny who were researching at the magic school gathered around Leo.

"Orbing accidents?" Paige asked with a frown firmly in place. Leo nodded.

"Our leading theory is that Chris's splitting was not intentional. Which means it was an accident. Look, it says that if a white-lighter suffers a trauma mid-orb, his orbs may scatter and harmlessly coalesce back into his or her body. Piper used to blow me up all the time. It hurts like hell but didn't do lasting damage," Leo began explaining. Paige nodded yet not understanding where her brother-in-law was headed.

"But Chris is half witch. We don't know how it affects him. Piper wouldn't dream of blowing up her precious little peanut no matter how mad she got," she said. Leo pointed to a few lines at the end of the page.

"Exactly. It says here that if a witch suffers a mid-orb trauma, they may coalesce with missing body parts. This may lead to excessive bleeding and possibly death," Leo said with a grave face. Paige nodded in understanding.

"Because he's part elder white-lighter, he coalesced into five copies of himself instead of five body parts," the youngest charmed one said.

"And since Wiccan or elder powers cannot be copied, each copy has only one power," Penny added.

"OK. That explains what happened. Does it say anything on how to fix it?" Patty asked not realizing the fact that their theory was wildly inaccurate. In the erased timeline where Chris had died at the hands of Turel, Piper had in fact blasted Chris and he had coalesced just like a white-lighter. Leo shook his head.

"When this book was written, there were no half-breeds, no offence," Leo said realizing all his present family members were half-breeds.

"Right. So they had no reason to even hypothesize about what would happen," Paige said ignoring Leo's comment.

"Great! So we're back to square one," Penny said with frustration.

"Not necessarily," came Junior's voice from behind. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't realize when he orbed in with Sparky. Everyone turned to him with a questioning look.

"The power of three spell didn't work before; probably because the unification has to take place mid-orb. It's just a theory but certainly worth a try…" Junior's explanation was cut short when Sparky doubled over clutching his head in pain.

"Hey bud. What happened?" Junior said in a comforting voice. He moved Sparky's hand away from his forehead and saw a cut above his left eye. It was bleeding but didn't seem particularly deep.

"How did that get there?" Patty asked incredulously.

"That doesn't matter right now. Just heal him," Leo said. At times like these he really felt useless due to his lack of healing powers. Junior was about to put his hand on the cut when it began healing on its own.

"I didn't know he could heal himself," Penny said frowning.

"He can't. At least couldn't till a few days ago. I saw Wyatt healing a bruise on his shoulder recently. But if he can heal remotely, self healing's not a big stretch," Paige said shrugging her shoulders. Junior shook his head in disagreement.

"No. Sparky can't heal anyone. He just has elder bolts, remember?" Junior asked rhetorically. Everyone nodded.

"But then, how?" Patty asked.

"The others…" Junior exclaimed. Leo's face lightened up in understanding.

"That's right. Wyatt must have done it," Leo said and Junior nodded his head in agreement.

"Wyatt did what now?" Paige asked annoyed at the cryptic conversation.

"The other fragments or copies or whatever, they're with Wy. He's calling me. He's asked me to get Sparky," Junior said. Junior held out his hand towards Sparky and the two quickly orbed out. Paige, Penny and Patty, annoyed at not getting an explanation, quickly followed him. Leo sank down on the nearby chair in despair. Whatever happened to one Chris; happened to all of them. This wasn't good. If Gideon wanted to hurt Chris, the chances of his success had suddenly increased five times. He was sure Gideon had gathered this much from the seer and was already working on a plan. There always was a distinct possibility that Chris's current condition was deliberately caused by the source.

* * *

><p>"Have I been vanquished?" was Dan's first coherent thought. Judging from the anguished screams let out by all the demons being vanquished, Dan always thought that the process was extremely painful. Having your body ripped to shreds or burned to ashes couldn't be a pleasant experience. But Dan didn't remember being in such agony. He tried to open his eyes and judge his surroundings.<p>

"Ah, you're awake," said a voice. Dan realized that he was shackled to a cavern wall in the underworld. His clothes were covered in dirt and blood seeping from the shallow cuts on his body. The pain in his chest every time he drew breath confirmed that he had at least a couple of broken ribs. But other than that he seemed fine. He remembered being hit by an energy ball and blood soaking through his shirt. When he looked down at his stomach, however, there was no trace of the wound.

"You were never hit by the energy ball. It was an illusion. My friend Barbus convinced you that you were loosing blood and going to die," the source said as he came closer to Dan watching him curiously. Dan looked up at him contemptuously.

"Let me go you son of a bitch," Dan growled. The source chuckled.

"Now there. There's no need to be nasty. I'm not going to kill you; at least not yet anyway. You're far too important for my plan to take out your two witch-lighter friends. They're too powerful. So much concentration of powers on either side is not good for the balance of the world. Don't you see? They are going to destroy the world by merely existing. That's why I had to become the source. I'm the only one powerful enough to maintain the balance of the world. Besides, if they loose the path of righteousness, the world would be beyond redemption," Gideon said. Dan couldn't believe that a former Elder, someone who's supposed to strive for the triumph of the good, someone who's supposed to be a visionary, could be so delusional.

"Am I the only one who sees the irony in this? An elder who's already lost his path is worried about two of the best sources of goodness in the world loosing theirs. You're truly deranged," Dan scoffed. Gideon's black eyes lit up in rage.

"You think I want to be the source? I don't have a choice. It's the only way to maintain the balance. I'm the only one powerful enough. If I destroy the power…" Gideon began his angry ranting but was cut off by Dan's mocking voice.

"If you think your power comes anywhere close to that of the power of two, you're truly delusional. Last time, uncle Leo defeated you single handedly. Your pride will be your downfall," Dan said and immediately regretted mocking the source of all that is evil. A sharp pain ran through his chest as the source telekinetically broke two more of his ribs. Dan gasped for air as it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe.

"You see, this time, I have the source's powers not to mention the entire underworld at my disposal. I do not need to worry about the reactions from the other elders who keep refusing to see that the Halliwell brothers are the true threat to this world. Most importantly I have something none of the previous sources had. Knowledge. It is the greatest weapon of all. I know how the witches think. I know what they know. I see all their future moves even before they do. Chris and Wyatt will perish and I'll finally be free. The balance will be restored," Gideon said contemplating the success of this plan. Dan looked at him in confusion.

"Free?" the half manticore asked incredulously.

"If there's no power of two, I will be free of this burden of being the source," Gideon stated simply. Dan was speechless.

"Anyhow, I was expecting Paige's son to come to investigate the spy but I'm sure you'll be just as helpful. Now I'm sure you're not in a helpful mood right now but I'm very persuasive," Gideon said.

"No amount of coercion or torture is going to convince me to betray Wy and Chris," Dan said firmly. An evil smile appeared on Gideon's face.

"Even if the torture is inflicted on your beloved?" Gideon said waving his hand to reveal an unconscious Prue Halliwell.

* * *

><p>"Did he…" Wyatt began as soon as Junior materialized with Sparky.<p>

"Yep," Junior answered before Wyatt finished his question.

"And then he…" Wyatt began again.

"Uh hmm," Henry Jr. nodded affirmative. Piper stretched her hand out and Sparky ran into her embrace.

"Why? How?" Wyatt asked.

"OK enough of the cryptic crap. Can anyone please explain to me what just happened?" Paige asked incredulously.

"I have a theory. And I just might know a way to test it," Junior said as he strode over to the book.

"Henry Wyatt Matthews Mitchel Jr. Do not try my patience…" Paige was outraged at the lack of explanation from her firstborn. Her demeanor reminded Wyatt of a very pissed off Piper.

"We think the five of them are somehow…" Wyatt began explaining as much as he understood but was cut off midsentence by Carver's frantic call. He orbed out without finishing the sentence.

"I swear next person leaving a sentence unfinished is going to find him/herself on South Pole, naked," Paige fumed. Piper who was uncharacteristically calm about the situation gave Paige a reassuring smile as she brushed a few strands of hair away from Sir Christopher's eyes. Fussing over five year old versions of her adult son was somehow therapeutic to her. Blue and white orbs filled the attic and coalesced into Wyatt and Carver.

"Dan's in trouble and Prue is missing," Carver said before anyone had a chance to ask any questions.

"What happened?" Piper asked.

"Dan went down to the underworld to investigate the stalker demon in the hospital. I kept our link open just in case he needed to contact us. A few minutes ago, I heard a frantic call from him. He was in trouble. I tried to reach Prue since I can't teleport. She didn't answer. I called Wy and he tried to sense them both. He can't find them," Carver answered without stopping for a breath.

"Alright. Carv, don't panic. We'll find them," Wyatt said as he pulled out the map and the scrying crystal.

"I'll get started on the summoning ritual for Prue and Dan just in case scrying doesn't work," Paige said.

"Can we summon Dan?" Penny asked skeptically.

"Well, according to dad, Dan is considered a witch after his wiccaning. Besides, we have summoned demons too. So one of them should work," Wyatt said swirling the crystal over the map.

* * *

><p>"Don't dare touch her! #$%$$##$%%..." The foul words that escaped Dan's mouth were enough to make the source blush. However his tirade was cut short by searing pain in his chest as the source telekinetically crushed Dan's broken ribs.<p>

"No! Leave him alone," Prue screamed as soon as she came around and saw her boyfriend being tortured by the source.

"How touching," Gideon commented but let Dan be and turned his attention to Prue. The glare Prue threw his way reminded him of Piper Halliwell and her grams, Penny Halliwell. He glared at the defiant girl for a moment and walked away.

"Are you OK?" Dan asked trying to keep his voice as even as possible. He didn't want her to know that he was in pain.

"I'm OK. I have a dull headache and might have a concussion but I'll live. You?" Prue asked.

"I'm OK," Dan answered breathlessly. It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe due to the broken ribs.

"I can't teleport. I assume you cannot shimmer either," Prue observed. Dan only shook his head.

"Does anyone know we're missing?" Prue asked with raised eyebrows.

"Carv might know. At least I hope he heard me," Dan answered but stopped talking as soon as he heard footsteps approaching. Gideon appeared shortly.

"I have a job for you, three actually. If you succeed, you'll be rewarded greatly," the source said in an oddly friendly voice. Dan made a gesture to suggest a place where Gideon could shove his reward. The source chuckled and signaled someone with his left hand. A scantly clad woman appeared and approached Dan. She unbuttoned Dan's shirt, eyeing him in a predatory manner.

"You're trying to seduce me? Sorry lady, I'm already taken," Dan answered. The woman, Dan assumed was the seer, only chuckled. She produced an amulet in her right hand and put it around Dan's neck. There was a peculiar rune carved on it but Dan didn't recognize it. She stepped aside and the source approached the half manticore.

"Now, here's what I want you to do. Your first task is to convince the Halliwells not to reunite what has been set asunder. Secondly, you're to convince them not to reverse the Hespith's ritual and lastly, you need to make sure the five currently youngest members of the family are not at the same place at the same time," Gideon made his demands. Dan, who had no Idea of what had happened to Chris, stared at the source as if he had lost his marbles.

"Oh, you'll understand what I mean when you go back to the manor," Gideon assured him. Dan scoffed.

"Are you high? What makes you think I'll do anything you ask of me?" Dan asked incredulously.

"Like I said, I'm very persuasive," Gideon said as he pressed his right hand over the amulet. Dan found himself unable to breathe. He wasn't sure if it was due to the pressure Gideon was putting on his chest or the unimaginable pain caused by the amulet, which was now red-hot and burning his skin. Dan felt sick due to the smell of his own charred skin. He soon passed out.

* * *

><p>"Nothing," Wyatt said exasperated. He had been scrying for his cousin and best friend for past half an hour without result.<p>

"Keep trying. You can't give up," Phoebe pleaded. She couldn't believe what was happening to her family. Her youngest child was legally blind and her oldest was missing. She knew the source's primary target was Chris and he was currently incapable of defending himself, but at least he was there. The rest of the family could protect him. Prue on the other hand could have been in life-threatening situation and they had no idea where she was.

"We'll get her back, don't worry," Piper said putting a reassuring arm around her baby sister.

"I think we should try and summon her. We've wasted enough time scrying," Paige said and Phoebe nodded.

Power of the witches rise,

Course unseen across the skies

Come to us who call you near

Come to us and settle here

Blood to blood, I summon thee

Blood to blood, return to me

Phoebe chanted as she pricked her finger and added her blood to complete the ritual. Unfortunately, nothing happened. She chanted the spell again and again but to no avail.

"Maybe we should try Dan," Wyatt suggested. Junior, who had temporarily abandoned his mission to find the proof for his theory about Chris's situation, scribbled something on a piece of parchment.

"Chris wrote this spell to summon Dan a while ago. It should work. But I think Wy needs to cast it," he said handing the parchment to his older cousin. Wyatt studied the spell and nodded in agreement and began chanting.

I beckon the one with a heart of gold

Whose dark heritage is well controlled

A brother in arms, a friend in need

Bring him to me at lightening speed

The spell would work only if Dan was alive. Everyone in the attic of the Halliwell manor waited in anticipation.

* * *

><p>Dan's vision was blurred when he came around. His first instinct was to check on Prue. She was still tied up but didn't seem to be physically injured.<p>

"Prue! Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded mutely. Dan remembered the amulet. He looked down at his chest and found the rune on the amulet branded into his skin. The amulet itself, however, was missing.

"What did he do?" He asked confused.

"I'm not sure. He put the amulet around my neck after he was done with you," Prue said. Dan looked up at her in horror. He couldn't imagine his love going through such pain. Prue shook her head as she realized what he was thinking.

"It didn't hurt me," She assured him.

"You're awake. Excellent," came the source's voice.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Dan hissed.

"A little insurance policy. In case keeping your lover prisoner isn't enough to persuade you to do my bidding. You see, the rune on your body and that on the amulet, currently worn by dear Prudence, are connected by an enchantment. Attack me, my minions or utter a single word to her family about her whereabouts and the enchantment will cause both of you unimaginable pain that will eventually result in your death. Do exactly as I say and her stay here will be relatively short and painless," Gideon said smugly. The seer approached Dan and buttoned up his shirt. Then with a flick of wrist, Dan's shackles vanished. As soon as he was free, he conjured an energy ball without thinking and prepared to throw it at the source. It was a foolish move, as he knew he wasn't powerful enough to vanquish the source but he hoped to injure him and slow him long enough to rescue Prue. At the very moment, however, Prue screamed in agony while the mark on his own chest began to glow. Dan felt as if he was being burnt inside out. He dropped to his knees in pain and looked at Prue with tear filled eyes. The source chuckled.

"As I said, if you don't do as I command, both of you will die painfully," Gideon said. Dan reluctantly extinguished the energy ball and his and Prue's pain reduced instantly. Suddenly the seer knocked him unconscious with a blow to the back of his head and before he could react, darkness took over. The source waved his hand and Dan's unconscious form was teleported to an empty cavern in the underworld. Soon enough white lights engulfed his body before he disappeared once again.

* * *

><p>The Halliwells waited in anticipation as the white lights coalesced into an unconscious form of the half manticore. Wyatt immediately dropped to his knees besides his friend and began healing. Within minutes Dan stirred and opened his eyes.<p>

"What happened? Where is Prue?" Phoebe asked. Every single person in the attic had his or her eyes on Dan.

"I don't know. I was following a lead and walked into a trap. I sent a message to Carv before I was unconscious. For some reason my attackers didn't kill me. Instead they locked me in chains. I couldn't shimmer but apparently Wyatt's spell was powerful enough to break the enchantment," Dan lied to his extended family. He was good in undercover operations and deception was one art he had mastered. But lying and manipulating the demons in the underworld was one thing and deceiving his best friend and the people he truly cared about was entirely different story. Fortunately for him, Phoebe was too distraught over her children while Wyatt and Piper were too worried about Chris to notice the fact that Dan had been avoiding eye contact. Henry Jr. was the only one to notice something was amiss.

"Dan, honey, you've been through a lot. Why don't you go downstairs and find something to eat? We'll keep looking for Prue. Don't worry, we'll find her," Piper said shooing the half manticore out of the attic.

"I'm alright. I don't think I'll be able to eat or do anything else till we get Prue back," Dan said as he tiredly sat on aunt Perl's sofa. Wyatt and Junior filled him in on what was going on with Chris.

"Now, Junior, why don't you tell me what happened at magic school with Chris's injury?" Paige asked her son.

"My leading theory is that all five fragments of Chris are somehow symbiotically bound. If you hurt one of them all of them get hurt. Similarly if you heal one of them all of them get healed. Sir Christopher, who was with Wy, stumbled and got a cut on his forehead. That's why Sparky, who was with me, got the cut as well without having a similar accident. When Wy healed him, Sparky was healed too," Junior explained. Paige raised her eyebrows at this outlandish theory but nodded in agreement after giving it some thought.

"I might have a way to test this theory but now is not the time to do it. For now, I think we should accept it as the most likely explanation and concentrate on getting Prue back," Junior said further. Suddenly, Gideon's demands made more sense to Dan. Gideon wanted Chris to remain five till he unlocked his memories to cause the maximum trauma. Whether the splitting was intentional or not was inconsequential. Keeping him split in five increased the probability of success five times. That is why he wanted Dan to separate the five youngest members of the family, namely five Chrises. It would be easier for the Halliwells to protect all of them together. He was being forced to hurt his unofficial baby brother in order to save his love. Dan didn't care about his own wellbeing but the thought of hurting Prue was unbearable to him. He desperately hoped that Chris, if he survived this ordeal, would some day be able to forgive him for it.

"Alright. Now we divide and conquer. I'll go down to the underworld and try to find out if anyone had heard any rumors regarding Prue. Aunt Phoebe, why don't you go downstairs and stay with Reese? We'll find Prue but Reese needs you now," Wyatt said. Phoebe reluctantly nodded.

"I'll go up there and see if the elders know anything about Prue's disappearance. Junior, sweetie, could you work on a spell to reunite Chris?" Paige asked her son who nodded in agreement. After all, he was the best spell writer in the family after Chris. Piper decided to keep scrying for her niece. Leo, who had just returned from the magic school, took up the responsibility of feeding five of the currently youngest family members.

* * *

><p>After about an hour of fruitless attempts, Wyatt and Paige were back. Unable to find any leads regarding Prue's disappearance, they took up babysitting Chris, Kitten, Sparky and company.<p>

"I think I have something that might work," Junior exclaimed. Everyone currently in the attic gathered around the blond witch scrutinizing the spell he had come up with. Everyone agreed that they should cast the spell. Well, everyone except Dan. At the very moment the mark on his chest began to burn and the pain started to spread through out his body. This was a hint for him to act.

"Do you think it's a good idea?" Dan reluctantly said. Everyone looked at the half manticore astonished.

"Of course it is. It is difficult for us to protect him with five of him running around. You have no idea how difficult he was to handle even at that age," Piper said narrowing her eyes. To her this was the most logical thing to do.

"Dude, I have been writing spells since I was five. Trust me, its safe. I have the best track record after Chris himself," Junior said a bit offended, thinking Dan doubted his spell writing ability.

"I'm sure its safe. I don't doubt it. I'm just being the devil's advocate," Dan inwardly winced at this sentence. He was literally being the devil's advocate. But he had to play it as if he was simply providing the counter opinion just for the sake of argument, to make sure the plan didn't have any drawbacks. All the Halliwells were now staring at the half manticore expecting him to elaborate on his point of view. Dan licked his dry lips before speaking.

"Think about it. If the source hurts one of them physically, all of them get hurt…" Dan began to make his case but Piper cut him off midsentence.

"My point exactly. We reduce the chances of him getting hurt by reuniting him," She said rolling her eyes.

"Yes. But there is a flip side to this coin. If we heal one, we heal all. By keeping at least one of him well protected with a healer all the time, we make him virtually invincible. It's not farfetched to imagine that healing more of them simultaneously might make it more efficient," Dan said with an earnest expression on his face. Piper was still unconvinced but Leo and Paige were thoughtful.

"That might actually be a good idea," Paige said and Piper glared at her.

"Are you out of your mind? I'm not willing to let any of them get hurt in the first place. There is no question of healing one to heal them all because they are not going to need healing in the first place," Piper said in her no-nonsense tone. Paige rolled her eyes.

"Of course we don't want to allow them to be hurt, Piper. But we have to be realistic here. The source is after him. Granted, he's trying to restore his memories while he's a child. But think about it. If elder Gideon had no qualms about killing baby Wyatt, do you think source Gideon will think twice before killing Chris if he gets the chance? I know it's not a scenario you even want to consider but don't discard the idea just because it is painful. We need to think outside the box," Paige said to her older sister. The argument continued for some time before Piper finally gave in. Dan felt a bit relaxed as the pain in his chest died down. This meant Prue wasn't in pain anymore either. Junior was curiously watching his reaction but didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>"Excellent! This means the half manticore has performed his first task successfully. It shouldn't be long before the power of two is destroyed," The source said as he noticed the fact that Prue wasn't in pain anymore. Prue glared at him.<p>

"You will never succeed. My family is looking for me and when they find me, they will vanquish your ass," Prue spat.

"Oh I'm sure they will try. And perhaps succeed. As a matter of fact I'm counting on it. But before they get the chance to save you, I will have sacrificed Wyatt and Christopher. They have too much power and threaten the balance of the world. It must be done. There is no other way…" Gideon said walking away from the cavern where Prue was imprisoned. She couldn't understand how an ex-elder, a being of ultimate good and wisdom could be so deluded. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind but Gideon had simply walked away from her before she could say anything. She tried to teleport away again but the chains that bound her were somehow magic proof. The only thing she accomplished was to get a killer headache.

* * *

><p>There was a loud crash in the conservatory and Piper, Paige and Junior rushed downstairs. Wyatt and Leo had gathered Chris, Sparky and company in the dining room and were currently attempting to get the five year olds to sit still and eat. As soon as they heard the noise, Wyatt telekinetically orbed the five-year-olds near him and instantly raised his shield. He urged Leo to join them but the father refused. Instead, the ex-elder rushed to the conservatory followed by Piper, Paige and Junior.<p>

"Leo, watch out," Paige yelled and Leo ducked instinctively. A fireball roared over his head and crashed in a nearby chair. He quickly threw his atheme and vanquished the demon that had attacked him.

"Fireball!" Paige exclaimed and sent the magical weapon back to its sender. Piper systematically blew up two demons at a time, one with each hand. Over the years she had perfected her technique for maximum efficiency.

"Sparky! No!" Wyatt yelled as his currently five-year-old brother squirmed out of Wyatt's grasp and ran towards the fight to help his mommy. With a blink of an eye, however, he was orbed back near his big brother who promptly pulled him in a hug. He hated the fact that he couldn't help his family in the conservatory. He was the only one with a shield. As a result he was the only one who could effectively protect his little brother. Suddenly a demon shimmered in the kitchen. He was holding a fireball in one hand and a piece of parchment in the other. Wyatt couldn't use his offensive powers and keep the shield up at the same time. If he made a move to vanquish the demon, he would be leaving Chris open for attack. The demon began chanting some thing in a language unknown to the twice blessed.

"Mom! Junior! A little help here," Wyatt screeched as he noticed a strange green light envelop his baby brother. Wyatt was certain that the demon was unbinding Chris's memories. Apparently his shield blocked the offensive magic but didn't block neutral spells like the one this demon was using. He made a split second decision and lowered his shield to attack the demon. The demon was quicker, however and instantly threw the fireball at Chris. Wyatt cursed and raised his shield back up again, just in time before the fireball could hurt Chris. The demon, still chanting, created another fireball. Piper and Junior had either not heard him or they were unable to come for his help.

"All right, everyone, grab my hand," Wyatt instructed. He had decided to orb them out before the demon finished chanting. Chris didn't listen however and began chanting his own spell.

I'm not afraid of monster because

I'll blow him up like mommy does

That was a pretty good spell for a five-year-old and it worked. The demon burst into flames and reduced to a pile of ashes before he could finish the chant. Wyatt was watching his brother with wide eyes.

"You came up with that spell?" He asked incredulously.

"I made it up to vanquish the monster under my bed that you told me about," Chris replied innocently. Wyatt chuckled. He realized now why, as a child, he could never scare Chris with the stories of monsters under beds and in the closet, no matter how hard he had tried. His genius baby brother had it covered.

"Is everyone OK? Does anyone need healing?" Wyatt asked changing the subject.

"My head hurts a little. But it's OK. Mom said its personal gain," Kitten replied. Wyatt put his hand over his brother's head and began healing regardless.

"Considering the situation, I don't think mom will mind," Wyatt said, as he made sure there were no other injuries.

"Is he OK?" Piper asked as she entered the room.

* * *

><p>The source was pacing in his underground lair. His first attempt had failed. All the demons he had sent after the Halliwells had been vanquished and the demon that was supposed to unbind Christopher's memory had failed miserably.<p>

"You will never succeed," Prue's words echoed in his mind. All was not lost yet, however. He still had control over Dan, the half manticore, who had the absolute trust of the Halliwells. There's no way the witches were going to succeed in protecting their precious progeny.

* * *

><p>"May be we should try and reverse the so called Hespith's ritual that turned him five in the first place," Piper suggested.<p>

"If he is twenty-two again, he'll be able to defend himself and he'll be able to cope with the memories better if Gideon succeeds," Paige agreed with her. All the Halliwells had gathered in the conservatory to discuss the future course of action.

"Didn't uncle Leo say that it was irreversible?" Junior asked looking at the ex-elder. Leo shook his head.

"Irreversible in the sense that there is no _known_ way to reverse it. But that doesn't mean we can't find a way," Leo clarified.

"But doesn't the effect wear off on its own?" Dan, who had curiously stayed away from the battle earlier, interjected.

"Yes. But the demon almost got to Chris. Do we really want to wait and see when the next attack comes?" Leo said worried about his youngest.

"May be we can accelerate the time like you guys did when Tempus attacked," Junior suggested.

"What if the spell backfires and Chris ages too much?" Dan said looking distinctly uncomfortable. All the Halliwells were watching his behavior curiously.

"Dan, are you alright?" Junior asked with a hint of worry. Dan was sweating profusely by now, trying very hard not to show the pain caused by the mark on his chest.

"I'm fine," Dan said abruptly. Piper was annoyed by the fact that Dan had been actively refuting any of her ideas when it came to dealing with the problem at hand. She was an experienced witch and her baby was currently in danger. She glared at the half manticore, which made him squirm.

"All I'm saying is that we need to think if it's worth the risk. If the spell wears off on its own, is it really a good idea to take the risk when all we have to do is wait and protect Chris while he's five?" Dan said.

"If my calculations are correct, then Hespith's ritual performed by an average upper level demon shouldn't last longer than twelve hours. It might take us considerable time and efforts to research and formulate a way to reverse the magic. By that time, the spell may wear off by itself," Leo observed. Dan saw the opening and interjected.

"Right. The question now is that whether we spend time and resources in finding something that might be obsolete by the time we find it or do we concentrate on protecting Chris till the time the spell wears off?" Dan said. He was relieved to see Paige and Leo nod in agreement again. Piper wasn't willing to give up yet.

"We can research and protect Chris at the same time," she argued.

"I don't think Gideon is going to stop at one attack. He seems to be relentless and we really cannot afford to divide our attention," Wyatt argued back taking Dan's side. He was still mad at Piper and made sure not to address her directly. As stubborn as Piper was, Leo was equally persistent and also very good at convincing her. Eventually she gave in but not before glaring at Dan who had spoken against her in the first place. Dan was, again, visibly relieved when everyone agreed to wait till the spell wears off.

"Hey Wy, I need to borrow one of your shirts. Mine is too dirty and I don't want to shimmer home and face my dad like this. He is way too worried as it is," Dan said. Wyatt nodded and orbed a clean shirt from his closet. Without a word, Dan took off his dirty shirt and after making sure that Junior had seen the mark on his chest, he buttoned up the shirt he had borrowed from Wyatt. The source had instructed him not to say anything about his plan. He never said anything about not showing them the mark. The lack of pain and the fact that he was still alive assured him that he had found a loophole. He just hoped that it wouldn't cost Prue her life. Henry Jr. was sure that Dan wanted him to see the mark but then why didn't he say anything? He was looking at the half manticore curiously.

"Are you OK, man? You're sweating like a pig and you look as if you're in pain," Junior said to the half manticore.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Dan said but Junior could see clearly that he was anything but fine. Junior's brow furrowed but he said nothing further. He didn't understand why Dan would lie to them. Perhaps something or someone was preventing him from telling them the truth. If that was the case, there was no use asking Dan directly. Junior knew he had to find the answer on his own.

"Interesting," Junior muttered and orbed to the attic. He was determined to investigate the peculiar mark further. Wyatt, Piper and Paige remained in the conservatory looking after the five Chrises while Junior flipped through the book. Making sure no one would notice, one of the vases in the foyer shimmered.

* * *

><p>"What do you have to report?" The source asked the shape shifter.<p>

"The half manticore convinced them not to reverse the Hespith's ritual. They have decided to concentrate on protecting the Catalyst for now," The shape shifter said. He hadn't realized the fact that Dan had purposefully let Junior see the mark. The source smiled satisfied.

"The half breed is more resourceful than I had thought," Gideon mused. He dismissed the shape-shifting spy with a wave of his hand and began preparation for his next attack.

* * *

><p>"Damn it!" Henry Jr. cursed as he scanned through the whole book twice without finding a single word about the weird mark he had seen on Dan's chest earlier. He was getting increasingly frustrated, as they were nowhere near finding his missing cousin. On top of that his half-manticore friend was acting weird and his other cousin was still legally blind. He needed help researching. Wyatt was busy protecting Chris, the sisters would ask too many questions to which he didn't yet have answers. The same was true for Penny and Patty. Prue was missing and Reese was incapacitated so the only people who could really help him were Adam and Ella. Adam and Ella weren't his charges so he called them on their cell-phones instead of sensing and orbing directly to them. Within five minutes, the three had gathered in the magic school library.<p>

"This is what you're looking for," Junior said handing Adam and Ella two pieces of paper that had a drawing of the rune he had seen on Dan.

"What is this?" Ella asked. Junior thought for a moment. He didn't want to scare her by telling her that her brother might be in trouble before he had all the facts. At the same time he didn't want to lie to his friends either. So he decided to stick to vague statements.

"I don't rightly know what it is. I couldn't find it in the book of shadows. All I know is that it is somehow linked to what's happened with Chris, Reese and Prue. We'll know more once we find out what this symbol means. I need you two to trust me and not ask too many questions. Most importantly, don't tell anyone else about it," Junior said to the two. He hadn't lied to them. He'd just avoided explicit details.

"But where did you see it?" Adam asked. Junior hesitated for a moment.

"I mean it will give us a place to start our search if we knew where you saw it," Adam clarified.

"I saw it branded on a demon's body," Junior said. He had seen it on a half demon but it would have been too obvious had he told them the truth. Dan was the only half demon they knew besides Cole and Cole had been dead for quite some time. He might as well have told them that it was Dan. Instead, he decided to give the half-truth.

"Alright. So it probably has a demonic origin. It could be mark of his tribe," Ella suggested. Junior shook his head as he knew for a fact that was not the case.

"I doubt it. If that was the case, many demons would have had the same mark and we would have seen it more often," He gave them a plausible explanation instead of the truth.

"Mark of slavery?" Adam suggested. Junior was thoughtful. It made more sense if Dan was being forced to act against his will. But still, the mark had to be more than symbolic. Otherwise Dan would have had Wyatt heal it and they would have vanquished the slaver by now.

"It's possible but my gut is telling me there is more sinister magic involved in it, something like a curse," Junior added.

"Or it could be kind of blessing, you know, to give the demon a power boost," Ella suggested. It was clear that Dan didn't have the mark for long. Junior hadn't seen him fight after receiving it. As a matter of fact Dan had curiously stayed away from the fight. But the notion that Dan would betray his extended family for a power boost was inconceivable.

"He didn't seem all that powerful," Junior simply stated to steer them away from the idea.

"How do we know that the magic involved is demonic in origin? The demon could have come across it somewhere else," Adam said.

"I have read about some ancient witch who tried to enslave mortals by placing curses on their loved ones. The other witches of her time eventually vanquished her and freed her slaves," Ella remembered from one of her classes at magic school.

"But it doesn't apply to a demon. Demons are not capable of love. As such they can't have loved ones," Adam argued. Ella glared at the witch-lighter for contradicting all her ideas. But to Junior, this theory made perfect sense. Dan's behavior, Prue's disappearance; all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

"My big brother is half demon and he's the most loving and caring person I know. Not to mention Cole. He did some nasty things but you cannot deny the fact that he loved aunt Phoebe. Then there was that Vampire dude who got himself vanquished last year trying to save his mortal boyfriend…" Ella was furious at the suggestion that Dan was incapable of human emotions. She would have continued her rant but was interrupted by Adam.

"I never suggested that Dan was incapable of human emotions. Dan, despite being born a half demon, is technically considered a witch after his Wiccaning. Cole was half demon and half human as well. So those two don't count. As for vampires, they fall in entirely different category…" Adam began arguing. A shrill whistle by Junior interrupted their altercation.

"Ella is right. We can't limit ourselves based on stereotypes. Did you forget the demon professor my mom had hired? Aunt Phoebe fell for him before she met uncle coop. Granted, we haven't come across anyone like Drake after that but we shouldn't discard Ella's theory," Junior took Ella's side. Ella looked at Adam triumphantly and stuck her tongue out. Adam rolled his eyes.

"I guess you're right. Besides, it's always possible that the curse was placed on the demon himself. If he betrays his master, he dies. Even a demon incapable of loving anyone else must love himself," Adam conceded.

"Precisely. Adam, why don't you search the demonology section for curses and enslavement? Ella, could you please search for any such magic in the Wiccan world? I've to go back to the manor and help Wy look after Chris," Junior said in an attempt to get them back to the task at hand. Adam and Ella nodded in agreement.

"We'll call you if we find anything," Adam assured Junior who thanked them and promptly orbed away.

* * *

><p>"There you are! You were supposed to help me look after them," Wyatt exclaimed even before Junior's orbs coalesced. Kitten promptly jumped on his cousin's back and demanded to be carried around. Chris was more than a cousin to Henry Jr. He had been a big brother to the younger man over the years. Part of the reason the two were so close could have been the fact that Junior was the only one in the family who was intellectually at a comparable level as Chris. Surely, Chris loved all his family. He loved Wyatt for his kind heart and happy-go-lucky attitude. He loved Prue for her wisdom. He loved Reese for his unfaltering faith in the power of love that he had learned from his father. He loved the twins for their witty remarks and the sarcasm they had gotten from his beloved aunt Paige. His relationship with Junior, however, was truly unique. Henry Jr. was blessed with a powerful mind just like himself. He was the only one who could keep up with him cerebrally. When he was in battle plan mode, Junior was his second in command. Wyatt and Chris were the best when it came to executing those plans but his goofball of a big brother was never much of a thinker. Chris protected and covered for Junior like a big brother would. Sure, he teased the younger man relentlessly but that was his prerogative as a big brother. Junior hated it with passion when people referred to Chris and him as Garfield and Odie but he wouldn't even consider changing anything about their relationship. As a result he didn't mind in the least when five-year-old Kitten made his childish demands.<p>

The most difficult part about taking care of the five-year-olds was that if one of them got something, the remaining four would want the same thing at the same time. Seeing as Junior carried Kitten on his back downstairs, Sparky grabbed Wyatt and demanded the same thing. Chris smiled mischievously and ran towards Dan. Sir Christopher and Perry, who were too slow to find a ride downstairs, turned to Penny and Patty. The twins sensed the danger and promptly orbed away making some excuse about working on some project for one of their classes.

"What about us?" Perry spoke for himself and Sir Christopher. Wyatt couldn't stand to look at their disappointed faces. They hated being left out.

"Come on, I'm sure me and Dan can carry two of you," Wyatt said picking up Sir Christopher. Dan yelped as Perry pounced on him.

"Speak for yourself Wyatt," Dan said with mock anger towards his best friend. Wyatt carried the little ones downstairs to the kitchen to feed them. Chris and Perry had already had their food and were too busy wrestling with their informal big brother.

* * *

><p>"Look at this one," Adam called Ella's attention to a paragraph on a tattered page of an ancient tome. Ella looked at it and raised her eyebrows in astonishment. There it was printed on the page, an elaborate depiction of an amulet and its name, amulet of Binding Agreement. The rune was the same as the drawing Junior had provided them. But they were expecting to find a branding iron or something instead of an amulet. Unfortunately, the part of the page with the description was so damaged that the writing was illegible.<p>

"We can't read anything but the name of that 'thing' but I guess its better than nothing," Adam said.

"It's great. We can search the archives for this amulet. There has to be some other record about it somewhere. Good job Adam," Ella said to the witch-lighter. Adam was surprised to hear genuine appreciation from the part dragon but was touched by the gesture nonetheless.

"Well, shall we talk to uncle Leo? He might know where to find more information on the thing," Adam said. Ella shook her head.

"Odie asked us not to tell anyone, remember? Why don't you go and tell him about what we found while I talk to the librarian to see if he knows any other book that mentions this amulet?" Ella suggested. Adam was about to correct her by saying 'what _I_ found' but thought better of it. He nodded instead and orbed away to find Junior.

* * *

><p>"Is it just me or do you think Dan is acting a little weird?" Wyatt asked Junior as soon as he arrived in the kitchen. Dan had stayed back in the attic and it was a perfect opportunity for Wyatt to voice his concerns to his family. He didn't want to worry his parents and aunts so he decided to confide in his cousin.<p>

"What do you mean?" Junior asked feigning innocence. He was certainly not going to tell Wyatt anything before he had all the facts. Wyatt, with his over-protective nature, would go off the rails and say or do something they would all regret.

"You know, he argued against mom twice…" Wyatt said and Junior interrupted.

"And lived!" Henry Jr. added. Wyatt winced.

"And lived. I'm not sure if he knows how close he came to having his ass blown to oblivion. But anyway, I agree with him. He's got a point. But don't you find it strange? I mean he's basically a powerhouse just like me. We're usually not the ones to strategize and reason," Wyatt said.

"Yes. But there is a difference between the two of you. He doesn't express his opinions that often but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of strategic thought," Junior said trying hard to keep a straight face.

"I agree but… Wait what did you mean by 'the difference between the two of us'? Are you insinuating that I'm incapable of thinking?" Wyatt said scowling at his cousin. The three little Chrises, who were quietly eating their peas till now, began giggling.

"You agreed with me," Junior said trying very hard to keep a straight face. He had to duck to avoid some projectile pasta, thrown at him telekinetically by Wyatt. The pasta landed directly on Kitten's head.

"Hey!" The little one complained. Wyatt raised his eyebrows and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well, you laughed at me!" Wyatt justified his action. Before the twice-blessed witch could utter another word, however, a ladle, full of gravy, emptied itself on Wyatt's head. For a five year old, Kitten had excellent command on his telekinesis. Everyone in the kitchen, except Wyatt burst out laughing.

"You think you're so tough, don't you?" Wyatt said as he flung a lump of mashed potatoes at Kitten who was ready this time. He ducked and the mashed potatoes smacked sir Christopher right in the face. Sir Christopher, who didn't have any power that would be useful in a food fight, promptly threw a jug full of orange juice at his big brother. Wyatt telekinetically redirected the flying liquid to Henry Jr. Junior, who was too busy laughing at them, didn't see it coming. He was soaked from head to tow in the sweet liquid.

"My eyes!" Junior exclaimed as the acidic juice began irritating his eyes. Seeing as his little cousin is temporarily incapacitated, Wyatt took another shot. This time, Junior's hair was covered with the marinara sauce Piper had made earlier. The exchange soon turned into a full blown food fight that involved, apart from the pasta, potatoes, gravy and sauces that had already been in play, some milk, coffee, butter, sour cream, leftover spicy Indian curry from last night and not to mention some eggs. A shrill scream from the door stopped the fight abruptly. The five culprits turned around to see a very, very livid Piper Halliwell.

"Oh o," Junior muttered trying to hide behind Wyatt's larger frame.

* * *

><p>After yelling at the five culprits for about half an hour, Piper was interrupted by orbs forming in the kitchen. The blue and white lights coalesced into Adam who was looking for Junior. He took in the scene and the wonderfully expressive face of Piper Halliwell and realized that he had arrived at a very bad time.<p>

"I guess you guys have more important things to do. I'll talk to you later," Adam said to Junior and promptly orbed away.

Piper had handed them their sentence after Adam left. Wyatt as the instigator of the fight, coupled with the fact that he was the oldest in the group, had been at the receiving end of the major portion of the yelling and the toughest punishment. Piper had ordered him to clean up the whole kitchen. To her surprise, he had accepted it without argument. She couldn't help but think that it had little to do with feeling remorse over the mess they had created. The only reason Wyatt didn't argue was that he didn't want to engage in a conversation with her that consisted of more than monosyllabic responses. It hurt her immensely that her son would consider talking to her as a greater punishment.

Junior was supposed to help her bathe Chris and then cook something for everyone. Junior was not as good as Chris or Piper when it came to cooking. He had worked at Piper's restaurant as a bus boy and waiter but had never bothered to learn cooking. Granted, he wasn't as bad as Wyatt but in his own opinion, it wasn't a good idea for him to cook for everyone. The part that bothered him was the first one.

"But Chris is like my big brother. It's weird for me to bathe him. I mean… ewe!" Junior tried to argue in a non-challenging tone. Piper narrowed her eyes.

"He's five. Besides He used to bathe Wyatt all the time when he came back to the past. You can do it too," Piper declared, leaving no room for argument. He led Sir Christopher, Kitten and Sparky to the bathroom without another word. It didn't come as a surprise to Wyatt when the little Chrises only received the yelling and escaped any form of physical labor as a punishment.

* * *

><p>Dan was facing conflicting thoughts now. So far he had, although unwillingly, complied with the source's demands. He had convinced his friend and family not to reunite Chris's fragments and turn him back to his adult self. No matter what the source had attempted to accomplish so far, Dan was almost certain that the Halliwells would be able to protect Chris. Now, however, the increasing pain in his chest meant it was time to fulfill the source's final command. He was supposed to make sure that five little Chrises were separated, an act that could potentially cost his unofficial baby brother his life. Wyatt and Junior had taken Sparky, Sir Christopher and Kitten to the kitchen to feed them, Leaving Chris and Perry in Dan's care. It was now or never.<p>

"Chrissie, Perry, you guys trust me, right?" Dan asked kneeling down to the level of the five year old. The two little ones nodded.

"And you know I would never intentionally hurt you, right?" Dan asked. His heart clenched as the words left his mouth.

"Duh! You're my big brother; just like Wy. I know you could never hurt me. You always protect me," Chris said rolling his eyes. Perry nodded in agreement. Dan blinked back the tears welling in his eyes and offered the two a hand.

"Then you must come with me," the half manticore said. The three shimmered away as soon as Chris and Perry grabbed Dan's outstretched hand.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Tenth chapter. <strong>

**Will Dan really betray his friends? Or does he have some other plan in motion to protect Chris and Prue both? Can Junior find a solution to Dan's problem before its too late? What do you guys think?**

**Kindly read and review.**


	12. Redemption

**Author's Notes:** Thank you lizardmomma, monkey kix ass, wizmage, Rey and one anonymous reviewer who commented on the last chapter. I'm truly sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I have accepted a full time job and before I can join, I must complete all the requirements for my graduation as soon as possible. For last couple of months, I have been too busy to type more than a couple of paragraphs each week. Unfortunately, this trend is likely to continue till the time I'm settled in my new job. As such, it may be another couple of months before I can post the next chapter. I thank all my readers for their patience and I hope you all stay with me.

Just for this chapter (and possibly the next one), I am bringing in Merlin from the BBC One series - Merlin. My original plan was to introduce a wizard who 'likes' our handsome half manticore and is willing to do anything for him. But then I decided to bring in Merlin (who happens to be my favorite character just like Chris) because the situation demanded someone far more powerful than an ordinary wizard. As Merlin is not likely to stay very long, I don't think it qualifies as a crossover.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or Merlin or any of their characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Redemption<strong>

"Prue is still missing. We have to search for her…" Junior protested.

"Nice try, mister. Paige and I are already on it. We're going down to the underworld where Paige can try and sense her again. So unless you have any better plan or suggestions, start chopping," Piper said pointing to the chopping board.

"And this apron, it's pink and with flowers on it!" Junior protested when Piper handed him a clean pink apron with floral patterns printed on it.

"And your point is?" Piper asked him raising her eyebrows. Junior quickly realized that there was no point arguing.

"Nothing," he said taking the piece of clothing from Piper's hands. He put it on without another word and a smirk appeared on Piper's face. Junior rolled his eyes. He just prayed that Wyatt, any of the Chrises or his sisters don't see him wearing it. But knowing his luck, he was anticipating a lot of grief from his cousins and siblings over weeks to come. Junior was done bathing the three Chrises. He was currently in the kitchen, trying to make something that would be edible as well as healthy, when Adam reappeared. One look at Junior's appearance and Adam burst out laughing. Junior glared at him.

"You will stop laughing this instant if you know what's good for you. I can make you skip along in the great hall of magic school wearing one of Penny's skirts," Junior threatened. Adam stopped laughing but unfortunately for Junior, The three Chrises that still remained at the manor entered the kitchen with Wyatt. The next few minutes were filled with hysterical laughter from the five-year-olds and some taunts from Wyatt.

"Don't pay attention to them, Odie. You look pretty; trust me. May be you could have pigtails to complete the picture," Wyatt said trying hard to suppress laughter.

"Don't you dare," Junior growled but it was too late. Wyatt had conjured two pigtails on Junior's head along with some girly shoes. Junior closed his eyes in frustration.

"Everybody out. This is my kitchen for now and I want everyone out of here. Except you, Adam, we need to talk," Junior roared as he kicked off the shoes and unraveled the pigtails. Junior resembled a very pissed off Paige and Wyatt and the three Chrisses made a wise choice of leaving the room.

"Talk," Junior ordered as he began washing some vegetables. Adam cleared his throat before speaking.

"We found something. But it's not what we were thinking. We found the rune you described but it was carved on an amulet not a branding iron or something as we were expecting," Adam said and paused to judge Junior's reaction.

"What does it do?" Junior asked with a frown on his face.

"The page we found it on was pretty illegible except where its name was printed. It's called 'Amulet of Binding Agreement'. But we were able to find another reference to it in the archives. Apparently it was first crafted by some powerful ancient evil. From the description of this powerful evil, it sounds like the original source. It says that when the first source took the throne, he had to fight other contenders. As he defeated each one of them, he crafted these amulets and forced them to wear it. They represent a magically binding agreement that those who wear it must do the source's bidding or they die. If they try to take off the amulet, they die. But it does not say anything about the rune being branded on the skin of its recipient," Adam summarized his and Ella's findings. Junior was thoughtful for a long moment.

"Damn it!" Junior cursed as he accidently cut his finger while chopping the vegetables. He rushed to the sink and washed away the blood. Adam grabbed the first aid kit and dressed the cut. Although he had recently learned to heal, healing Junior's wound would have been personal gain. Looking at the blood that oozed from the cut, a thought crossed Junior's mind. His eyes widened as he realized what might be happening with Dan. He rushed to the attic muttering something about 'dark blood magic', with a very confused Adam at tow.

* * *

><p>"Why in the world would you think I would agree to this? I don't even know you. How can I trust you?" The skinny wizard asked the stranger who called himself Arrazigal. The angel of destiny smiled kindly.<p>

"Let me show you something," Ari said as he waved his hand. A thin opaque membrane appeared in front of the two and Merlin threw a nervous glance behind them. His prince, Arthur had just taken off his armor and sweaty clothes after the day's practice. The angel of destiny had intervened when Arthur was about to order his manservant to polish the armor and wash the clothes. As for now, the mighty prince was frozen midsentence with open mouth and raised index finger. As funny as the scene was for Merlin, he was afraid that Arthur could unfreeze any moment.

"He looks like Arthur. Why is he dressed like that?" Merlin asked astonished as he noticed the image projected in front of them. It was one with Wyatt, Carver, Chris and Henry Jr. playing touch football in the manor's backyard.

"That is the future. And no he's not Arthur. He looks like Arthur but he is, in fact, future Arthur's little cousin. His name is Henry Jr. He is in fact future life of sir Lancelot…" Arrazigal said but was interrupted by Merlin.

"Then shouldn't he look like Lancelot? He looks like Arthur," Merlin said suspiciously.

"That boy resembles Arthur because his father is a descendant of your prince. Naturally he has inherited some physical traits. It's generally true that your future life will look similar to you but there are exceptions to that rule. Your future life, for example, looks nothing like you, except perhaps the dark hair, piercing eyes and slender build. He also your descendant, by the way," Ari said gesturing to Chris. Merlin's eyes widened.

"He's my future life and my descendant? But his future Arthur's brother that means Arthur's future life is also my descendant," Merlin asked staring at Chris disbelievingly.

"Yes. And he's in trouble. You must help him," Arrazigal said with a grave face.

* * *

><p>Dan shimmered to a clearing in a dense forest somewhere in New Zealand with Chris and Perry. He used to visit this place with his father and his little sister during vacations when they were children. Ella never really liked the wilds and preferred to sleep in her own comfortable bed. Dan would shimmer her home to San Francisco every night after their father was asleep and stay with her. He would shimmer them back to the cabin before their father woke up in the morning. Derek was a heavy sleeper and hadn't found out about it till the time Dan was about fourteen.<p>

Dan knew that the cabin they used was pretty much abandoned now and was a safe place to keep Chris and Perry for the time being. If everything went as he had planned, Chris will soon be whole and back to normal and Prue will be safe.

"Alright boys. Now listen to me carefully. I need you two to stay here for a little while. Don't worry; I'll be here with you guys the whole time. But first, I need to put up some wards so that it is protected from the demons," Dan said to the little ones. Chris and Perry nodded. Dan immediately began working on the anti-orb and anti-sensing wards to prevent Chris from orbing away with Perry and to keep Wyatt or Junior from sensing the two till he was ready. He then surrounded the cabin with crystals and other protective charms. Once he was satisfied with the defenses, he turned to the Chrises.

"Right then. Who wants some pudding?" Dan asked.

* * *

><p>"Where are Chris and Perry?" Wyatt asked Junior as he rushed into the attic. He had obviously tried to sense them and had come up empty. The twice blessed was almost in a panic mode as was evident from the fact that he was holding the remaining three Chrisses in a tight hug.<p>

"Damn it, Dan! I hope you have a plan involved in all of this," Junior exclaimed realizing he was too late.

"Wy! You're hurting me," sir Christopher said squirming to try and get out of Wyatt's hold. Wyatt however held on to him tighter.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you saying Dan took them?" Wyatt asked. Junior noticed a vial of blood on the table. There was a note attached to it that said 'In the worst case scenario' on it. Junior cursed loudly.

"What's that?" Adam and Wyatt asked in unison. Junior handed the vial to Wyatt. The three Chrises squirmed out of his grip as soon as Wyatt reached for the vial.

"Get back here right now," Wyatt ordered the five-year-olds. The three frowned and shook their heads. It took Junior and Wyatt a few moments to convince the three to stick to Wyatt, protected in his shield. In that very moment, five demons shimmered in and attacked the little ones. Wyatt orbed his brothers to him and raised his shield. Junior and Adam began throwing potions and athemes at the intruders. The two witch-lighters made short work of the demons and soon enough they were nothing more than piles of ashes on the attic floor.

"This is Dan's handwriting! That's his blood! What does he mean by 'worst case scenario'?" Wyatt asked observing the vial in his hands carefully for the first time. It looked like Junior had tears welling in his eyes.

"In case we need to vanquish him," Junior said grimly.

* * *

><p>"What kind of trouble?" Merlin asked astonished.<p>

"Do you see that tall blond man? His name is Wyatt. He is the future life of your prince Arthur and the future master of Excalibur. He is also big brother of Chris, your future life…" Ari began explaining but was interrupted by Merlin.

"Arthur is my big brother? Please tell me he is a bit more intelligent and a lot less arrogant," the wizard said as if this was the most painful news. But anyone observing him carefully could have clearly seen the tears of happiness in his eyes. Merlin had begun to respect Arthur for his kindness and fairness. He loved him like a brother and to know that in some future life they will actually share the blood was absolutely overwhelming for him.

"He is who he is but he loves his little brother. You two are meant to constitute the greatest magical power in the history of the world. Unfortunately, your future life is in trouble…" Ari began narrating the riveting tale of Christopher Perry Halliwell.

* * *

><p>"Sweetie, do you need anything else?" Phoebe asked her son. He was still legally blind after the demon attack and Coop had teleported the two back to their own home. Phoebe was worried to death about Prue's disappearance and was trying very hard not to break down.<p>

"Mom, could I have my iPod please? Its in my desk," Reese said and immediately realized he had stepped into a minefield. He wished he could suck his words right back into his mouth but alas it was too late.

"Sure honey," Phoebe said as she opened his desk drawer. Reese mentally kicked himself as he heard the soft clutter of glass.

"Reese Christopher Halliwell, why do you have manticore-vanquishing potion in your desk?" Came Phoebe's voice. Reese winced hearing the use of his full name.

"Mom, its not what you think. I…" Reese tried to placate his mother.

"And please don't insult my intelligence by saying its not manticore-vanquishing potion. I was the one who invented it, remember?" Phoebe asked trying hard to control her anger. In his current state, yelling at him wasn't going to be much helpful.

"Its just a precaution…" Reese tried again.

"I can understand keeping a vial or two of a strong general purpose vanquishing potions handy. You have four vials of this specific potion. Something tells me you were anticipating an attack specifically from manticores. I wonder why," Phoebe said narrowing her eyes. Reese's attention was grabbed by another seemingly trivial detail.

"Four? Are you sure? Chris made five of them for me…" Reese said and bit his tongue.

"Chris made them for you? Of course he did. No one apart from him has that kind of skill in your generation," Phoebe mused to herself.

"But mom, there were five vials. I haven't used any of them. What happened to the fifth? If it was broken, it would have burned a hole through the bottom of the drawer," Reese said frowning.

"Don't change the subject mister. Why did you have them in the first place?" Phoebe asked relentlessly. Reese rolled his eyes and began narrating the account of his encounter with the manticores.

* * *

><p>"What the hell is going on here?" Wyatt said irritated as another wave of demons attacked them. Being the only one with a shield, he was stuck inside the protective blue force field. Which meant he couldn't use any of his offensive powers. They had been expecting an attack on Chris and they were prepared. But Wyatt couldn't help but feel that he was missing some vital piece of information. Junior and Adam made short work of the intruders.<p>

"That vial, the disappearance of Prue, Chris and Perry, the rune, Dan's behavior, all of it is making sense now. Wy, stay here and protect these three munchkins. Call for my mom and uncle JD while you're at it. Mom and Aunt Piper are in the underworld looking for Prue. Tell mom and uncle JD to get your mom and aunt Billie. I'll get my sisters and Carv. Adam, get Ella and aunt Phoebe. We'll meet back here in five minutes. This is code red. We're in huge trouble and with Wyatt stuck inside his shield, we need all the fire power we can muster," Junior gave out orders. As Chris was incapacitated, Junior was the brain of the operation. Wyatt looked confused. The attacks so far had been child's play. There was nothing particularly threatening about any of the demons that had attacked so far. But he knew better than to second-guess Junior. Chris and Junior were hardly ever mistaken. All the seemingly unrelated incidences made little sense to him but Junior had obviously put together the pieces of the puzzle.

"You mean I'm in big trouble, right?" Kitten asked a bit scared. Wyatt hugged him closer and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"No no no no no. Don't you worry about anything buddy, you trust me, don't you? I'll protect you no matter what. I'll always protect you," Wyatt said hugging his little brothers tightly.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight. My future self traveled back in time to save his brother and was killed in the process by the very creature that was responsible for the whole future disaster in the first place. Now the same creature is back and trying to destroy the sanity of my future self by unleashing all the horrible memories of things that never really happened?" Merlin asked astonished.<p>

"Gideon will be an elder when killed Chris and he's going to be the source when he tries to again. Neither of the two can technically be classified as 'creatures' but apart from that little detail, yes, that's the cliff-note version of the whole story," Ari responded.

"Cliff-notes?" Merlin asked raising his eyebrows.

"Never mind that. You need to come with me and help your future self," Arrazigal insisted.

"And exactly how am I supposed to help them? From what you've told me, these future witches are as powerful as I am, possibly more so. There is nothing I can do magical or otherwise that they can't," Merlin argued.

"Do you remember the ancient ritual the dragon taught you? The one created by the sages in the foothills of Himalayas?" Ari asked. Merlin's face turned grave.

"But that ritual's not exactly the answer. After the ritual, both people involved will eventually die young. How does that solve anything?" the wizard asked.

"Their world stands on the precipice of change. And the plummet into the abyss of destruction is inevitable. The question is, when? Your job is to present them with the option. What they choose to do with it decides their own destiny, and incidentally, that of the world. If they make all the right choices, the destruction of their world will be deferred by several million years. If not, theirs will be the last generation to live in this world, " Ari responded calmly.

"How can you be so calm about it all?" Merlin asked overwhelmed.

"I'm confident in the ability and integrity of the Halliwells," Ari responded confidently.

* * *

><p>"Now that everyone is here, would you please tell us what's going on?" Wyatt asked Junior anxiously.<p>

"I don't think we have much time to explain. Here's what I know. If I'm reading the signs correctly, the source has Prue and he's using her to blackmail Dan. I think he's forcing Dan to do his bidding using something called 'Amulet of Binding Agreement' augmented with some blood magic. Now, I know you guys are not used to taking directions from me but I need you all to follow my instructions to the word. Dad and uncle Leo, could you guys do some research at magic school and find out anything useful about the amulet? That way you two will be away from direct combat and still be able to help. I understand uncle Coop is taking care of Reese? Adam, call him and tell him to get him to magic school as well. He isn't the primary target; Chris is. So as long as we keep Chris here, Gideon is not likely to target magic school. Mom, aunt Piper and aunt Phoebe, I need you guys to ward the manor against evil. We won't be able to keep the more powerful demons out of here with wards but this will at least keep the nuisance of the lower level demons to a minimum. Penny and Patty; go to magic school and start brewing the strongest of our potions. Orb each batch to the manor as soon as it is done…" Junior was in full battle plan mode. To his surprise, his mom and aunts didn't protest. Instead they began working on the wards immediately. However, his speech was interrupted by complaints from his little sisters.

"You're sending us to magic school? We want to help not hide in the school…" the twins began ranting but were interrupted by a shrill whistle by Junior.

"You _are_ helping. Please, listen to me. Wyatt is not going to be able to use his offensive powers. Potions are critical in this fight. If you care about Chris and Prue, do as I ask," Junior said. He knew it was a dirty trick to use Chris and Prue like that but he didn't exactly care at this point. The two pouted and orbed away taking Leo and their father with them.

"Odie, don't you think you're overreacting a little bit? I understand you want to protect Chris but we don't know for sure if Dan is being blackmailed. For all we know he took Chris and Perry out for frozen yogurt…" Wyatt began but Junior interrupted him.

"What about his blood in that vial? And the rune I saw that was branded on his chest? Wy, I don't have time to explain everything to you. Just trust me. Please?" Junior pleaded. Wyatt nodded in understanding. Ella's eyes widened as she heard the part about the rune being branded on her brother's chest. She was furious with Junior for hiding that detail from her but she was too worried about Dan and Chris. And junior seemed to be the only one who had any idea what was going on. She knew deep down that Junior will do anything and everything to save Dan, Chris and Prue but that didn't mean she couldn't be angry with him. Given the circumstances, however, setting his hair on fire would have to wait.

"Now, Wyatt, your only responsibility is to protect these three in your shield. You won't be able to use your firepower but you can cast spells, especially the one Chris made up to mass-vanquish dark lighters. There are too many people with white-lighter blood here and the situation may spiral out of hand if any of us get hit. Ella, I know I should have told you about Dan when I asked you to research the rune but I didn't want to alarm you if it turned out to be nothing. Gideon knows how to penetrate Wyatt's shield. He's done it before. Ella, I need you to use your dragon fire shield as a backup plan if any one manages to break Wyatt's shield," Junior instructed. Ella wasn't exactly happy with Junior for keeping her in dark but she cared about Chris more than anything in the world. As such, she agreed to follow Junior's lead. The sisters were back by now after warding the manor as Junior had asked. The wards were already in place, the sisters just needed to activate them.

"Alright, uncle JD and Adam, I need you guys to be on defensive. Heal anyone who is hurt. Aunt Billie and Carver, I need you guys to cover our two healers. Rest of us will take out any and all demons that attack. Are there any questions?" Junior asked.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm son, but are you sure about it all? I mean…" Paige began skeptically but was interrupted by a yell from Wyatt.

"Behind you!" The twice-blessed witch screeched in an unnatural voice. Every one turned to face the intruders.

* * *

><p>Dan was startled as he heard the knock on the door. The nearest human settlement was some ten miles away and he wasn't expecting anyone to be present in the vicinity. The knocking was persistent, however, and he had to answer it before they decide to knock the door down.<p>

"Who is it?" Dan asked authoritatively.

"I'm Merlin, the wizard," came a hesitant answer. Dan frowned but opened the door just enough to peek outside. What he saw was unexpected. There stood a skinny boy in his early twenties. His head was of a bit weird shape and his ears were too big. He was wearing blue linen shirt and a dark red kerchief around his neck and a dirty brown jacket. Despite his rather outlandish appearance, the boy seemed completely comfortable in his own skin.

"Hello. Daniel I take it? I'm Merlin. And I'm here to help you," The boy said with a kind smile. Dan could see no deception in his piercing gray eyes. As if hypnotized, Dan opened the door and let the stranger in. As soon as he closed the door, however, he snapped out of the trance and conjured a fireball.

"Who're you? Why're you here?" Dan asked menacingly. Merlin glanced at the fireball and raised his hands to indicate he meant no harm.

"I've already answered both of your questions. I was told that you need my help," Merlin answered.

"Told by whom?" Dan asked still ready to attack. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Chris and Perry enter the room. He was about to instruct them to take cover when Merlin spoke.

"He called himself Arrazigal," the young wizard answered.

* * *

><p>"Anything more?" Leo asked for the hundredth time. Coop glanced at him sympathetically while Henry was mildly irritated.<p>

"Leo, I understand you're worried. But you need to be patient. I'm working as fast as I can. It's not like I have done PhD in magical artifacts," Henry Sr. answered. As the only non-magical one in the group, he was in charge of primary screening. He and the librarian were going through the archive looking for any and all books that talked about the particular magical amulet. Leo and Coop, being more experienced in all things magical, were going through each reference to determine whether it was useful or not. Reese, being legally blind and unable to help with the research, was sitting on one of the couches.

"Sorry. I'm just anxious…" Leo's apology was cut short by a sharp gasp from Reese. Coop realized that his sun had had another vision and immediately rushed to his side.

"What is it buddy? What did you see?" Coop asked, rubbing comforting circles on his son's back.

"Its Chris. They're planning on hurting him, badly. And they're going to succeed… Unless… of course… Dad, tell Junior to give Sir Christopher his sword. That's the only way to protect him," Reese urged his father.

"What do you mean, son?" Coop asked his son. Leo was almost catatonic after hearing the oracle. Henry Sr. quickly moved closer to his brother in law and offered support.

"No time to explain. Junior will know what I mean. Please, dad, hurry," Reese pleaded and Coop, understanding the gravity of the situation, promptly teleported away.

* * *

><p>"The angel of destiny sent you?" Dan asked incredulously. Merlin just nodded affirmative. He was currently too busy playing with Chris and Perry.<p>

"I can't believe they're my future lives," the wizard said absently.

"And how does he think you can help? The source of all that is evil has her. Just before he sent me away, I noticed a huge dragon guarding his cavern. Only the charmed ones or the brothers can get past it," Dan said not paying attention to the comment made by the wizard about Chris being his future life. He had enough things to worry about apart from agonizing over intricacies of time travel.

"Dragon, you say? Well then, it's only appropriate that I help you. I am, after all the last surviving dragon lord of my generation," Merlin said with a glint in his eyes that unnerved the half manticore a little.

"What's a dragon lord?" Dan asked incredulously.

"Lets just say we can communicate with dragons and command them. So where is this dragon you speak of?" Merlin asked not willing to go too much into details.

* * *

><p>The wave of demons that attacked next was almost too overwhelming for the Halliwells. Innumerable encounters with the demon-kin over the years had prepared them well. All the witches, white-lighters and hybrids worked flawlessly around each other like a well-oiled machine of German engineering. Wyatt held the five-year-olds near himself and kept the shield up the entire time. Ella stood nearby and created a whip of fire that struck any demon with enough force to vanquish them instantly. There was a continuous stream of dark-lighters attacking them and Wyatt did his best to vanquish them instantly using Chris's spell. Unfortunately, Chris's spell made a direct reference to the number of dark-lighters. As a result, for the spell to work Wyatt needed to know precisely, how many dark-lighters are there in the vicinity when his spell finished. If the number changed, the spell wouldn't work. Apparently, the dark-lighters were aware of the limitations the spell and had devised a strategy to counter act it. All they had to do was either call one more of their brethren or one of them had to orb away before the spell finishes.<p>

"Arrow…" Paige called and redirected an arrow speeding towards her son.

"Get rid of them already," Henry Jr. told Wyatt, irritated. It was the third time he had been targeted and considering the fact that more than half of his present family had white-lighter blood in them, he didn't like their odds.

"I'm trying. Their number keeps changing," Wyatt complained before casting the spell again. This time it worked. And all the five dark-lighters burst into flames. At that moment, a poorly aimed fireball hit JD on the shoulder. Adam promptly orbed near his father and began healing him. Junior rushed to cover them.

"What about an anti-orb spell cast on the attic? That way they wouldn't be able to orb in on us," Phoebe suggested as she kicked a demon square in the chest. The creature stumbled backward but didn't suffer any other damage. The momentary distraction was enough for Phoebe, however, and she promptly plunged an atheme in the demon's neck.

"We can't put an anti-orbing spell. We can orb out of the way of any and all ammunition. Without orbing we'll be sitting ducks. Especially uncle JD," Junior pointed out the flaw in Phoebe's plan. For each demon they vanquished, another one appeared. Junior and the sisters were sure that their enemies were trying to keep the witches busy and distracted while they made an attempt on Chris. Carver found himself cornered by two upper level demons while trying to get to the potions that Penny and Patty had just dispatched from the magic school. He was about three feet away from the satchel that appeared in the flurry of orbs when one of the demons tackled him. His only active power was telepathy but he was surrounded by Halliwell Power houses. Theoretically, he should have been able to tap into anyone's power and fry the bastards that had cornered him. He hadn't yet mastered this facet of his power, however, and couldn't do anything.

"Carv, NO! Stay away from him," Wyatt screamed in terror as he saw a demon was about to stab his lover in the chest with its sharp and poisonous claws. Carver panicked and momentarily closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were glowing white instead of their usual brilliant blue color. His fingers tingled and a stream of white-hot electricity shot out from his hands. His attacker was vanquished instantly.

"Way to go Carv!" Junior congratulated his friend. In the moment to desperation, Carver had tapped into Sparky's electro-kinesis. Carver was disoriented for a moment before he realized what he had done. He made a celebratory fist pump and to his utter disbelief, Junior went flying across the room. This time he had tapped into Kitten's telekinesis.

"Be careful with that would you? I'm on your side," Junior groaned and orbed out of the way of a stray fireball.

"Sorry! I guess I should not be tapping into Wy's powers anytime soon," Carver said sheepishly.

"Good idea. After all we do want the manor standing after this of all over," Adam commented. At that moment a rather ugly looking demon shimmered in and went straight for Wyatt and the Chrises.

"Stay away from my sons," Piper roared as she vanquished two demons that approached Paige and Phoebe simultaneously. At that moment, more dark-lighters orbed in.

"Mom, try freezing the dark-lighters before I cast the spell," Wyatt told Piper but was interrupted by Junior.

"That won't work. It won't stop new dark-lighters from orbing in and changing their numbers. Wy, do you remember the time-stop spell Chris and I created to… You know… " Junior said cryptically not wanting to give too many details about their past exploits to their parents. Wyatt, Chris and Junior used to sneak out of their respective houses after curfew. But somehow, Piper always knew when Chris wasn't home. Once, when Chris was about sixteen, she realized that the three had sneaked out to a party despite being specifically prohibited. Piper and Paige had cast an anti-orbing spell to force the culprits to enter their respective houses through the front door and were waiting for them in the foyer. Chris and Junior had whipped up this particular spell. The three entered their respective houses right in front of their mothers and gone to their room without being noticed. They came out of their rooms a few minutes after the spell wore off and claimed that they were home the whole time. Piper and Paige were quite certain they were untruthful but could never figure out how they pulled it off. Wyatt smiled a little at this memory and nodded distractedly.

"Time-stop spell to do what?" Paige asked her son suspiciously while dodging and atheme thrown at her.

"So not the time mom," Junior drawled as he threw a large vase at the head of a particularly ugly demon. Wyatt didn't waste time and cast Chris and Junior's legendary spell.

Passage of time, formidable and exact,

The world changes too quick to react,

Make it appear as if it's frozen,

Quicken the clock for me and my chosen

It lasted just long enough for him to count the exact number of dark-lighters and then blow them up with one more spell. The time-stop spell had gotten him out of many nasty situations. It was one of the spells he had remembered by heart second only to his aunt Paige's cleaning spell. The spell would appear to freeze the entire universe in time while keeping the caster and those he chose unaffected. Actually freezing the entire universe would require too much power and nobody including Wyatt and his twice-blessed powers, had that kind of ability. Well, no one except the angels of destinies, that is. In reality, the spell did exactly the opposite for the caster and his chosen. It accelerated time just for the caster so that from his or her perspective, the whole universe would appear to be almost frozen in time. The accelerated time for the caster meant that he or she could do anything an ordinary witch can do in about ten seconds, in less than a nanosecond. The side effect of the spell was that the caster lived ten seconds of their lives while everyone else that was unaffected by the spell would live only one nanosecond. In other words, the caster will effectively loose ten seconds of their lifespan from everyone else's perspective. But it was a small price to pay as long as they didn't use the spell too often.

"Nicely done," Paige commended her nephew as soon as all the dark-lighters were vanquished.

"We will have a talk about why you two created that spell in the first place once all this is over," she added pointedly, glaring at her son while throwing a potion at one of the demons. Junior rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"But I can't take you to the dragon. I'm not allowed to go against the source. What if it hurts Prue, or even worse," Dan said not wanting to cause any pain to the love of his life. Merlin was thoughtful for a moment.<p>

"May be there is a loophole. After all you showed Lancelot the rune and nothing happened," the wizard mused.

"Lancelot?" Dan asked frowning.

"The one you call Henry Jr. but that's not important. How about this? Take us to this dragon. You will know immediately if it is considered as the breach of the 'binding agreement' as it will hurt you. Bring us back here immediately if that happens and we'll think of something else. Otherwise, you can leave me there and come back. I will command the dragon to stay down and rescue Prudence. Once she's free, I'm sure she can teleport us home. Then we'll decide what to do next," Merlin suggested.

"And what if the source is there. I'm sure he won't just let you take her," Dan argued.

"I am perfectly capable of creating a distraction when I have a dragon at my disposal. Don't worry about it. Besides, he doesn't know that I'm here. We have the element of surprise," Merlin said confidently. Dan reluctantly nodded but then a thought struck him.

"What about these two munchkins? We can't just leave them alone. They're five," Dan said. Chris and Perry scowled at Dan disapprovingly for calling them 'munchkins'.

"You'll be back here in a moment after taking me there. They won't be alone for more than a few moments," Merlin reminded the half demon.

"I can't take that chance," Dan said shaking his head.

"I can look after them in the worst case scenario," came a familiar voice. Dan turned around to see Roland.

"How… How did you find us?" Dan stuttered fearing his anti-orbing and anti-sensing wards had failed, as an elder was able to sense them and orb in.

"Arrazigal sent me. Don't worry; your wards are still good. The angel of destiny is simply too powerful for them to stop him," Roland explained.

* * *

><p>"Dad! Watch out," Adam yelled. One of the upper level demons had aimed a fireball at JD who was currently trying to heal Carver. The telepath, although injured, was conscious and pulled his healer down and out of the way of the fireball.<p>

"Thanks Carv," JD said. Adam finished the demon with a well-aimed potion. Out of nowhere, Coop appeared in the attic and Phoebe shrieked, scared to death for the safety of her husband. Coop quickly ducked out of the way of a stray energy-ball and took cover behind aunt Pearl's sofa.

"Uncle Coop, what're you doing here? Did you guys find anything?" Junior inquired. Coop crawled neared to Henry Jr. and Wyatt before speaking.

"Reese had a vision. In it they breached Wyatt's shield and knocked Ella unconscious. Reese said that Chris's sword is the key to save him. He also said Junior would understand what that meant," Coop told them shortly.

"Of course. The sword. Why did I not think of that?" Junior said mentally kicking himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wyatt barked pulling Sir Christopher, who controlled the Equalizer, closer. Among the three Chrises, Sparky had the most offensive power and was itching to help. Wyatt had to control the three kids and keep the shield up at the same time. The shield was up for quite some time by now. He was sweating profusely due to the efforts as it was mentally and physically taxing to keep it up for long durations of time. He was certainly not in the mood to solve one of Junior's riddles.

"Let Sir Christopher summon the sword…" Junior began to explain while orbing an atheme into a demon's chest but was cut off midsentence by Wyatt.

"He's five. We're not letting him take up the sword," Wyatt said resolutely.

"Remember that demon who uncovered the sword? He was more or less invincible. Actually, he was absolutely invincible…." Junior began but was cut of midsentence by Piper.

"No! He's too young for that. What if he cuts himself? Or worse? Wounds of Equalizer cannot be healed, remember? He's not summoning the sword and that's final," Piper declared as she blew up two more demons.

"The sword cannot hurt Chris. It couldn't even when the demon struck him with it. It is supposed to make Chris invincible as long as he holds it in his hands. And if one of them is invincible, all of them are," Junior made his case while successfully vanquishing two lower level and one upper level demons. No matter how many demons they fried, more showed up. Junior was expecting Wyatt to protest but instead he heard a gut-wrenching cry from the twice blessed.

"Wyatt! What happened?" Junior asked. Wyatt was clutching his chest as if he was stabbed. Piper turned to see her children and her face contorted in horror. Wyatt's shield flickered and then disappeared. Junior turned to Ella who was struck in the head by some blunt object. Reese's vision was coming true. A torrent of flames appeared in front of Wyatt and materialized into Gideon.

"You!" Piper roared as she saw the face of her son's assailant. Her eyes widened in horror as one of the demons approached the five-year-old Chrises with, what she assumed was a blessed atheme. The demons and dark-lighters took advantage of the distraction caused by the source's appearance and trained their weapons on the witches. The situation had gotten out of hand and the source now held all the cards.

* * *

><p>"I don't think the source is here," Dan whispered to Merlin as they shimmered to a cavern that was a short way from the source's lair. The act didn't cause any pain in his chest, which was a good sign. It meant Prue wasn't in pain either. He could see the guard demons at the massive oak door to the source's lair. Their rather relaxed attitude told the half demon that their boss was nowhere near.<p>

"The cavern with the dragon and Prue is this way. I can't go in there without killing Prue and me both. Please, save her," Dan pleaded to the Wizard. Merlin nodded and smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I know how to handle a dragon," he said and rushed towards the cavern. Dan didn't have a choice but to shimmer back to the cabin. Once Merlin was inside he made short work of the only demon guard in the cavern. Who would need an army of demons to guard a single captive when they had a dragon at their disposal? Prue watched in astonishment as the scrawny boy approached the dragon with confidence. The dragon seemed amused by the boy's boldness. His curiosity was sated as soon as he greeted him in the language of the dragons.

"You're a dragon lord. I thought your kind wasn't around anymore," the beast said.

"I'm not from this time," Merlin answered shortly.

"And I suppose you're here to rescue the witch?" Came the dragon's next question.

"Indeed, I am," the wizard responded calmly.

"You're talking to the dragon?" Prue asked astonished. She didn't understand any of their interaction. But from the looks of it, the skinny boy seemed to have some authority over the beast.

"Yes I am. But we don't have much time for pleasantries. I must converse with the dragon now. I'm trying to get you out of here," Merlin responded curtly before turning to the dragon.

"Now, to the business at hand. I command you to hand over the girl and leave this place immediately," he said in an authoritative tone.

"I owe no allegiance to the creature that summoned me to this place. And unlike you, I am not obliged to follow his commands. Alas, I cannot do as you ask me to do. You see, these chains that bind my wings, prevent me from leaving this place. They also compel me to do the bidding of the one who summoned me," the dragon answered.

"If you cannot free the girl, then stand down. I'll free her myself," Merlin said. He used a spell in an attempt to break the chains. His eyes glowed a brilliant copper color for a brief moment but nothing happened.

"That will not work. The girl's relatives are powerful witches. Her captor anticipated them to try and rescue her. Those chains cannot be broken by even the strongest magical means. But, I have the key," The beast observed, amused at the dragon lord's attempts to break the magic resistant chains.

"Then hand me the keys," He said.

"Like I said, I'm compelled to follow her captor's orders. If you free me and promise to use your magic to send me back to my realm, I will gladly give you the key to the chains that shackle the girl," The dragon said with a glint in his eyes. Merlin was thoughtful for a moment. The dragon may not be trustworthy but he didn't exactly have a choice. Saving Prue was critical.

"Very well. I'll free you and send you back to your realm. Bear in mind; once in your own realm, I'll lock you there. You will be free to roam in your own world but you cannot return to this one," Merlin warned. The dragon chuckled.

"Only the ancient wizard Merlin has that kind of power," the dragon observed.

"Who do you think I am?" the young wizard asked with a lopsided grin. The dragon's eyes widened with disbelief. After a few moments of pondering, he bowed down in acceptance of the wizard's terms and conditions. Merlin used the same spell on the shackles that bound the dragon. The source hadn't anticipated any of the Halliwells to free the dragon so he didn't use the same precautions while restraining the beast. Having no desire to go against some one as powerful as Merlin, the dragon took his leave. Merlin released Prue from her bindings. They heard some commotion outside the cavern, and realized someone was about to find them. Not wanting to reveal his presence in this time, Merlin urged Prue to teleport them away. They dissolved in pink light just in the nick of time before one of the demon guards entered the cavern.

* * *

><p>"Hilt of Equalizer!" Junior called for the object and quickly slid it towards sir Christopher who promptly picked it up. Piper would most likely be pissed at him for not listening to her but in the given situation Junior didn't exactly care. This was the only way he could think of to save Chris. With the encouraging look from Junior, Sir Christopher summoned the blade to himself. And he did it just in the nick of time as the demon attempted to plunge the atheme into Kitten's back. The equalizer had assembled itself in Sir Christopher's hands and as a result, all the Chrises were pretty much invincible. The atheme didn't hurt the boy but the force with which it was thrust was more than enough to cause him to stumble and fall. Wyatt had gained his composure by now and re-erected his shield to encompass his little brothers.<p>

"You think this matters? Once I unleash the memories, 'the power of two' will be history," Gideon said menacingly. Phoebe and Paige couldn't help but think there was something odd about this Gideon. Of course, he was the source and not and elder but there was something fundamentally different about him. The strange thing was that even the difference seemed somehow recognizable. They couldn't pinpoint what it was though.

"You see, I hold all the cards. I have Prudence in my custody. I have your half demon friend doing my bidding. Christopher is incapacitated so you don't have access to 'the power of two'. Admit it. There is absolutely nothing you can do," Gideon gloated.

"We have 'the power of three'. We're perfectly capable of vanquishing your sorry ass," Piper hissed. Gideon chuckled.

"Did you forget I still have Prudence? Attempt to vanquish me and she's dead," he threatened.

* * *

><p>"I must go to the manor," Dan said restlessly. It had been about half an hour since he had left Merlin in the cavern. They were supposed to teleport to the manor as soon as Prue was freed. Suddenly he was beginning to feel pain in his chest and the rune on his skin was beginning to burn. Either their plan had failed or succeeded he didn't know. But he was sure that the source had discovered that Dan had gone against him.<p>

"Go. I will take down the wards and bring the little once there once it's safe," Roland assured him. Dan shimmered away.

* * *

><p>"No he doesn't. Not anymore anyway," Came a familiar voice from the attic door.<p>

"Prue! You're OK" Coop exclaimed, relief washing over him. Phoebe rushed towards her daughter but a demon aiming an energy ball at her stopped her.

"I see. The half-bred managed to save you without killing you or himself. He found a loophole, did he? Interesting. But he will pay for his betrayal, I assure you of that," Gideon hissed.

"How many times do I have to explain this to you? Dan was never loyal to you. He never swore allegiance to you. So by definition he can't betray you," Prue said in a slight mocking tone. Gideon raised his hand and invoked the magic associated with the amulet. The amulet around her neck began to glow. Prue clutched her chest as the magic began crushing her heart.

"No! Let her go you bastard," Phoebe howled in pain. An evil glint appeared in Gideon's eyes. Something clicked in Paige's mind. All the Halliwells considered Gideon to be worse than the devil himself because of what he did to future Chris and tried to do to baby Wyatt. Elder Gideon, as misguided as he was, didn't have that look of pure evil in his eyes. She had seen that same look somewhere. But she couldn't remember where.

"Someone, do something," she pleaded to her family in general but she was looking at Junior. He was the only one there who seemed to understand Gideon's devious plan. Her heart broke as she saw the tears in his eyes. She understood there was nothing he could do. Phoebe broke free from the demon that held her and rushed to her ailing daughter not caring if the foul creature attacked her.

"I'm sorry aunt Phoebe. There's nothing I can do," Junior almost broke down as the words escaped his mouth. Wyatt was seething with rage but he couldn't abandon his little brothers and attack Gideon.

"No. But I can," came Dan's voice from the corner of the room. Everyone looked at him with astonishment. They had mixed feelings about the half demon. After all he had saved Prue at the same time endangered Chris. Prue glanced at her boyfriend and a faint smile appeared on her face despite the pain. She knew Dan was in pain as well; he was just better at hiding it.

"There is nothing you can do. If you want Prudence to live, give me young Christopher. I will not kill him. You have my word," Gideon said. He knew Chris was invincible as long as he held the sword and he couldn't kill him even if he tried to. For now, his only goal was to unbind Chris's memories from the other future before Hespith's ritual wears off. If his calculations were correct, he didn't have much time. He didn't count on Dan being able to rescue Prue but not everything was lost. He just had to hurry. One could almost see the fire in Piper's eyes after hearing the source's demand.

"There is… another way," Dan stuttered as the pain was becoming unbearable. Prue's eyes widened in horror as she realized what Dan was planning to do.

"No!" She screamed.

"I love you," Dan said to Prue before he opened a small vial and gulped down its contents in an instant. Phoebe quickly realized it was the missing vial of manticore-vanquishing potion from the batch Chris had made for Reese. It was a throwing potion and not for consumption, certainly not by a half manticore. She didn't know the exact effect it was going to have but it certainly wasn't going to be anything pleasant.

"You insufferable fool," Gideon roared as he realized Dan's actions would cause his plan to fall apart. To everyone's horror, Dan began choking. His whole body was drenched in sweat. Within moments, blood red lines appeared on his pale skin and began to smolder. Before anyone could react, the half manticore let out a blood-curdling scream before his body turned into a pile of ashes.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Eleventh chapter. <strong>

**Do you think Dan is gone for good? Will his sacrifice save his girlfriend and his unofficial little brother? Will the Halliwells be able to find a way to bring their favorite half demon back from the wasteland? Has Merlin gone back to his own time or does he still have an instrumental role to play? What do you guys think?**

**Kindly read and review.**


	13. The Watcher's Disciple

**Author's Notes: **Thank you all who reviewed and/or added me/this story to their favorites. I would also like to thank you all for your patience. It took me far longer than I had thought to finish this chapter. I wrote about two and a half versions of it before I was satisfied.

I'm a bit slow at typing so most of this chapter was written using a handwriting recognition app and a stylus. Bad handwriting results in several typographical errors. I have tried to correct as many errors as possible. If any are remaining, I apologize in advance.

Last chapter, I brought in Merlin (Colin Morgan) from BBC One series Merlin. He is a guest and will be returning to Camelot very soon. I am also introducing two new recurring characters namely Niles (Played by Freddie Smith) and 'the Lady' in this chapter. These mysterious newcomers will have key roles in the sequel of this story. You guys will have to wait for the sequel to know who Niles and 'the Lady' truly are. But that should not affect the wholeness of this story.

**Lizardmomma**, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you like this chapter too.

Thank you **y0.y0** for the review. I like Bradley James almost as much as Drew Fuller, but I guess Drew will always be number one.

**Crystalzap**, I love your idea to have a five-year-old Chris vanquish the source. However, fate promises many more twists before Gideon is vanquished for good.

**tag.0**, thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad you liked it. Your review prompted me to work a little harder on this chapter and post it sooner than I would have otherwise. I always felt that the writers did great injustice to Chris's character. I think he has a complex personality and I do my best to portray him accordingly. As per the complexity of the plot, it is going to be a lot more twisted. I hope you like this chapter too.

**Disclaimer:** I_ do not _own Charmed or Merlin or any of their characters except the ones I make up. I_ do not _seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Watcher's Disciple<strong>

"This isn't over," Gideon growled and turned to the five Chrises. He quickly began chanting some spell in an ancient language. The ritual of binding agreement he had performed was rooted in Dan. With his death, the enchantment on Prue's amulet was broken and it slipped off from her person as if it was never there. With Dan gone and Prue free, he had no leverage against the witches. Gideon had to act quickly.

"No! How could this happen? Why didn't any of you stop him?" Prue said to no one in particular. She was sobbing uncontrollably. She tenderly touched the ashes of her lover. At that precise moment, four things happened that added to the already ensuing chaos.

Firstly, Gideon almost finished his chanting. His hands were glowing red and he was about to hit Sparky with it as he was the nearest.

Secondly, a dark haired young man who looked about adult Chris's age, orbed in. He took in the surrounding in an instant and jumped towards Sparky.

Thirdly, several more demons appeared in the attic and attacked. This was clearly meant to distract the witches from Gideon's actions.

And lastly, sir Christopher, who was holding the sword, charged at Gideon.

The newcomer grabbed the boy and tumbled out of the way of Gideon's spell. He made sure that his own body took the hit from the fall and Sparky was uninjured.

"No!" the boy yelled and threw Gideon away from Sir Christopher with his telekinesis. The Halliwell witches were in battle mode by now and were systematically vanquishing the intruding demons. Gideon was surprised to feel the blood trickling down his front. The tip of the Equalizer had made a small wound in his stomach before he was flung backwards. The newcomer could have let Sir Christopher finish the job but he had been spared. Gideon wasn't complaining. Seeing as the situation was already out of his hands, the source made a hasty retreat. All his minions who were not quick enough to follow their leader were vanquished within moments. Roland orbed with his two Chrises in within moments after sensing the demons were gone from the manor.

"Now, I'm sure all of you have questions for me but let's first fix Chris. We're going to need him undivided and undistracted," the newcomer said.

"Undistracted? Is that even a word?" Paige asked innocently and earned a glare from her eldest sister. Without acknowledging Paige, the stranger turned to the five little ones. He waived his hands and the five Chrises dissolved into orbs.

"Cast the spell," the boy said to Junior in a surprisingly commanding voice. As if entranced, Junior handed a piece of parchment to the sisters. With a frown firmly in place, Piper, Paige and Phoebe chanted the spell Junior had written to reunite Chris's fragments.

Undo the split, intentional or unplanned

The Catalyst's powers go hand in hand

We speak as one the sisters three

Recombine Chris and set him free

The spell specifically called upon the power of three to make it most potent but Junior wasn't sure if his wording was precise enough for it to work. To his surprise, it did work and when the orbs coalesced, they formed a single five-year-old Chris. The child almost immediately began to grow in age and before they could realize what was happening, adult Chris was standing in the attic. The Hespith's ritual had worn off.

* * *

><p>"What in hell?" Dan exclaimed as his eyes opened. He was still in the Manor but he was alone. Or at least he thought he was.<p>

"Not entirely," came a response from the door. Dan turned around to face an older man with grey hair.

"What?" Dan asked, confused.

"In hell. You're not in hell, at least not entirely," the man answered not unkindly.

"Then where am I?" Dan asked.

"You're in limbo. This place changes its appearance based on where the soul, in this case you, feels safe. I suppose it makes sense that you would feel safe in the Halliwell manor," The man answered.

"And I suppose you're the angel of death?" Dan asked incredulously. The Man nodded.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Clarence. I took care of Chris when he was here. I suppose, I have developed a soft spot for the Halliwells over the years so now I'm here to help you," Clarence said.

"OK. So where do we go from here? I suppose you expect me to move on to the afterlife?" Dan asked the angel with a hint of sadness. The angel shook his head. Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"We're just going to wait here until your friends find away to take you back to the land of the living. The Catalyst is going to need his entire family by his side when 'the power of two' faces its ultimate challenge. The prophecy dictates so," Clarence replied. Dan was speechless for long moments.

"What is this prophecy anyway? None of us know what it is," Dan inquired.

"It is not my place to reveal the details. The 'scion of balance' will uncover the prophecy when the time is right. For now, we just wait for your brothers to come through for you," Clarence said. Dan smiled fondly when the angel of death referred to Chris and Wyatt as his brothers. He was not doomed to spend eternity alone after all. There was still hope. Wyatt was going to be pissed when he goes back. Possibly pissed enough to vanquish him and send him right back to the wasteland but he knew Chris would understand his actions and restrain the twice blessed. A great weight was lifted from his chest and he realized, for the first time, that it was unbearably hot in the fake manor.

"And why the hell is it so hot in here? I mean, if I shaped this place, why couldn't I shape it with air conditioning?" Dan asked irritated, trying to separate his sweat soaked shirt from his skin. Clarence smiled.

"Precisely because you're in hell as well. Ordinarily, a soul in limbo is not capable of feeling hot and cold, pleasure and pain. But the wasteland is designed for painful afterlife. That's why you feel hot despite being dead. If you don't believe me, just take a look outside the window," the angel of death said. Dan obliged. He was greeted by a vision of the wasteland. The land was cracked and flames were erupting from the crevices. The half demon gasped as he witnessed a demon falling from the burning red sky and being devoured by some underground beast. Dan gasped and stepped away from the windowsill.

* * *

><p>"Who the hell are you? And why did you save Gideon," Piper was the first one to acknowledge the stranger after making sure Chris was all right.<p>

"I'm the Watcher's disciple. But you can call me Niles. And I saved Gideon because it wasn't his time to be vanquished. He still has a key role to play in your destiny," Niles said with a smile on his face.

"Cut the cryptic crap. You're a witch-lighter. I saw you orb and use telekinesis. What could you possibly know about our destinies? How did you even know Gideon was even here?" Wyatt bombarded the newcomer with questions that were on all their minds.

"You're about my age. I wasn't aware that there were any other witch-lighters outside my family. And who the hell is 'the watcher'? I haven't heard that term ever," Chris added.

"Calm down. I'll answer your questions one at a time but only if it doesn't screw up the future," Niles said but was interrupted by Phoebe.

"That sounds familiar. Don't tell me you're from the future," she said raising her eyebrows.

"Not exactly. I'm from a place beyond time. Where I come from, time means nothing. Kind of like limbo; only I'm not dead. If it helps, you can think of it as a parallel plane of existence. It's a nice place really. A bit cold but cozy nonetheless," Niles increased the confusion further with this answer. He casually walked towards the shelf and picked up Chris's snow globe. Wyatt had gifted him that when they were kids. Niles was looking at it fondly when Chris hissed in a low and threatening voice.

"Put that down, slowly," Chris said. He had a deep emotional attachment to the globe and didn't want this stranger breaking it. It had been shattered again and again in innumerable demon attacks over the years and then repaired by Paige's cleanup spell. But that didn't mean Chris had to tolerate a stranger touching something important to him.

"Don't worry. It's just as important to me as it is to you," He said after putting down the globe but didn't elaborate.

"Who are you exactly? And I don't see any entry here on 'the watcher'. Or on any place that exists outside time," Junior said flipping through the book of shadows.

"Watcher is the one that watches over your family. He's pure yet insubstantial and cannot directly influence your world. I'm his disciple. I carry out his commands. The book contains entries on beings your family has come across over the years. 'The Watcher' is not there because no one in your family has encountered him, yet," Niles answered.

"How did you know Gideon was here?" Wyatt repeated his previous question.

"I don't have to answer that," Niles responded simply. Wyatt frowned.

"What role does he have to play in our destinies?" Junior asked the next question.

"I don't have to answer that either," Niles repeated. Chris discretely orbed three crystals behind the stranger, one to his own hand and eyed Junior who happened to be standing at the right position. Junior realized Chris's plan and moved his hands behind his back. As soon as he did, a crystal materialized in his hands.

"I don't think you realize who you're talking to," Wyatt said taking a threatening step towards the boy.

"Oh, but I do! I know you better than you know yourself," Niles answered with a hint of dislike in his voice.

"Why are you here?" Leo was the one to ask this time.

"You know what, I'm getting tired of all the questions. I think I'm going to take off now…" His sentence abruptly ended as at that very moment, Chris and Junior jumped into action. They placed the last two crystals in place and the stranger was imprisoned. He looked at the cage with raised eyebrows for a moment. A smug smirk had appeared on Wyatt's face at the surprised expression on the stranger's face but it quickly vanished as the stranger smiled and then began laughing, hysterically.

"You honestly think this will hold me? I'm going to pull a Houdini now. Watch and learn, kids," Niles said mischievously as he began to fade away. Astral projection, Chris quickly realized. But he didn't get a chance to contemplate on that as the stranger reappeared behind him within moments.

"I'm sure our paths will cross again soon, but before I go, I have a gift for you," he said as he nicked Chris's arm with a small dagger that appeared to be made of green tainted glass. Chris hissed in pain and Wyatt threw an energy ball at the stranger. Unfortunately for the twice blessed, it was another astral projection and it vanished before the magical projectile was anywhere near it. Chris's knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.

* * *

><p>Down in the underworld, Gideon was licking his wounds, quite literally. No matter what the demonic healer did, the wounds made by the Equalizer would not close or stop bleeding. Gideon knew it was useless to try and heal it but decided to give it a try anyway. He was more anxious about the anticipated visit from his benefactor. She had saved his life but her reasons were obscure to him. In fact her gender was the only thing Gideon knew about her. Her name, heritage, extent of her powers and her motives behind saving him were unknown to the source. Even his trusted seer had been unsuccessful in peeking into the mysterious woman's intentions.<p>

* * *

><p>"It's just your demonic half trying to take you to the place where demons go after being vanquished. After all, you did vanquish yourself. But don't worry. You're safe as long as you stay inside the manor," Clarence assured Dan. The half manticore was horrified.<p>

"I don't fancy being torn apart by the beast outside but being cooked alive in this heat while in the fake manor isn't too attractive option either," Dan said. Clarence laughed at the petulant tone of the half demon.

"It won't be long, I assure you," Clarence said kindly.

"So we have to pass the time somehow. Why don't you tell me about the time you helped Chrissie?" Dan asked curiously. He had no idea as Chris had almost died multiple times. Nobody knew about the first time and the timeline was erased the second time.

"It's not my tale to tell," the angel said.

"Oh come on. You know kitten won't mind if you tell me. I'm like his big brother. We've to do something. We can't just sit here looking at each other's faces," Dan pleaded.

"I can. I'm death. I have infinite patience," Clarence said with a smile. Dan rolled his eyes.

"Oh all right. I'll tell you. The first time I was assigned to his case... " Clarence began his tale.

* * *

><p>"Kit, are you alright?" Wyatt asked, concern evident in his voice. Chris was clutching his head as if in pain. Wyatt quickly healed the cut made by Niles before his astral projection disappeared. The bleeding stopped but the angry looking scar on Chris's bicep didn't disappear no matter how much he tried. Chris seemed to have passed out for a few moments. When he came around, he had a haunted look in his eyes. Wyatt was hovering over his little brother when Chris's eyes opened. Instinctively, the half elder jolted away from his brother. Wyatt had a confused and slightly hurt expression on his face. Chris stared at his family in confusion for a moment and then seemed to remember something.<p>

"Mom, when Wy went back to the past, what did he look like?" Chris asked his mother. Piper was a little confused by this seemingly irrelevant question.

"When? Before or after you swallowed the marble?" she asked.

"Before, when his not-so-imaginary friend turned him," Chris clarified. Wyatt winced at the mention of his turning.

"Just like he looks now. Why?" Piper asked still not understanding where her son was going with this line of questioning.

"And what about his evil version? Let me guess, tight fitting black t-shirt, long curly blond hair, cold and uncaring eyes, weird little goatee, does that sound familiar?" Chris asked. The sisters and Leo were startled. Phoebe managed to nod affirmatively to her nephew's question.

"How did you know?" Paige asked. The children knew about the event because there was an entry in the book of shadows but the subject of evil Wyatt being a sensitive one, they never described the dark version of the twice blessed in any detail. There was no reason why Chris would know how his brother looked and dressed as an evil overlord.

"Please tell me I am wrong and that Niles didn't unbind your memories," Junior asked. The sisters and Wyatt were shocked at this possibility.

"Not all of them. But I think he infected me with something like a slow acting poison when he nicked me with his atheme. It's slowly unbinding Ari's spell and unraveling my memories. I just had a vision of evil Wyatt choking me," Chris elaborated. Wyatt winced at this revelation. Chris could see the shine of tears in his brother's eyes. He quickly held his brother's hand reassuringly.

"It wasn't you, Wy. You would never hurt me. Always remember that," Chris said. Wyatt nodded once but Chris knew his brother was still upset.

"I'm going to vanquish him," Piper hissed. She was pissed at Niles for hurting her son. Chris gave her a sad smile that reminded her too much of Perry. He shook his head.

"No. I think it's good in a way. I don't think I could have handled all the memories at the same time, And Ari did say that me getting back my memories was inevitable, even essential. So may be this is the best way. I think that's what he meant when he said 'his gift to me'. Niles used a method that will bring back my memories without overwhelming and crippling me," Chris said trying to calm his mother and big brother.

"Are you saying that you trust the guy?" Junior asked disbelievingly. Chris shook his head.

"Not necessarily trust him entirely but I would think twice before painting him as evil. Just stop and think about it, mom. From what you guys told us, you didn't trust Perry in the beginning either. In his desperation, he did a lot of questionable things. What if you had vanquished him without thinking?" Chris asked. Piper's face was ashen with horror.

"You think he's family?" Leo asked. Chris shrugged.

"He did say that he's not from this timeline. Did you guys ever suspect I was family?" Chris asked, not realizing he had identified himself with Perry for the first time. It was Leo's turn to wince now. The memory of him throwing a defenseless Chris into the wall stung him at that very moment.

"Chris, I'm…" Leo was about to apologize but Chris cut him off midsentence.

"Dad, I'm not trying to make you feel bad. All I'm saying is we should take all possibilities into account before making any hasty decisions. After all, he did save me from Gideon's spell that would have opened the floodgates of painful memories. He also helped you guys put me back together. Granted, you guys didn't need his help for that but it's the thought that counts. The only questionable thing he did was saving Gideon. But who knows what would happen to the future if Gideon were to be vanquished before his time? Imagine what would have happened if you had vanquished Zankou before defeating he Avatars," Chris made his point. Everyone was thoughtful for long moments.

"You're right. But we should find out more about this Niles fellow before we either trust or vanquish him. But first, Please tell me you're all right. Do you need healing?" Junior asked, concerned about his big cousin.

"I'm fine, Just a little headache. Nothing I can't handle," Chris replied.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit," Piper suggested. Chris shook his head.

"I'm OK, mom. Besides, we've got a lot of work to do. I'm going to the magic school to do some research. In the meanwhile could you guys talk to uncle Derek and tell him what happened? Assure him that we're doing everything in our power to get Dan back. I'll be back in a couple of hours," Chris said before orbing off. Piper wanted to call him back and Wyatt wanted to follow his brother but Leo and Carver stopped their respective partners. Chris needed to be alone, at least for little while.

* * *

><p>"But how shall I address you? I can sense a great power in you. A lady of your status must be addressed properly," Gideon asked the hooded woman that had just appeared in his layer out of thin air. Someone who is capable of breaching the source's wards and intruding in his sanctuary had to be enormously powerful; Gideon knew that. He was powerful in his own way but he wasn't blinded by it. He knew his limitations and recognized a powerful potential ally when he saw one. He was not vain like some of the previous sources and decided to conveniently ignore the woman's impolite intrusion in favor of potential alliance.<p>

"Simply 'Lady' will do. There is no need for you to learn my true identity, just yet," She responded.

"Of course, my lady," Gideon said bowing just a bit.

"You must be curious as to why I saved you?" She asked.

* * *

><p>Chris was back in a couple of hours as he had promised. With him he had brought a bunch of old books and was currently busy making some notes in the book of shadows regarding his research. Wyatt was trying, as discretely as possible, to get Chris to talk about any other memories that might have returned during the time he was at the school when Phoebe entered the attic. Her face was pale with worry.<p>

"Boys, could we talk for a moment?" Phoebe asked.

"Sure, aunt Phoebe. What's on your mind?" Chris asked, eager to divert Wyatt's attention away from his memories. Wyatt looked up at Phoebe knowingly.

"It's about Reese. I know we have to get Dan back and all but…" Chris cut off Phoebe midsentence.

"We know, aunt Phoebs. We're working on it. I remember everything that happened when I was… indisposed. I just needed to look up some more information on magical blindness in the magic school. I was just heading back there. Don't worry, aunt Phoebe, Reese is my brother just like Wy, Junior and Dan. I would never dream of giving up on him or neglecting him just because we have other problems," Chris assured his aunt. Phoebe's eyes brightened. Reese's condition had been steadily worsening and what little progress they had done in healing his eyesight was lost during the time it took to get Prue back. After her daughter's return, Reese's blindness had been her biggest worry. Everyone else had been focused on bringing back Dan, but she was a mother and her youngest was legally blind. She trusted Chris absolutely to find the solution. At that inconvenient moment, a memory, more than two decades old, pricked her like a rusted nail. She was sitting right in this attic, almost given up on saving her nephew because Piper was missing and she couldn't think of anything else to do. And here was the same nephew assuring her that he would never give up on his family. She regarded Chris's eyes and saw a knowing look. He remembered, she was sure of it. Wyatt didn't understand why his aunt suddenly broke down sobbing and hugging Chris while apologizing for her behavior.

* * *

><p>"I can see the two of us helping each other achieving our goals. You're of some use to me and that's the only reason I intervened when Leo Wyatt vanquished you decades ago," the Lady said. Gideon already knew that.<p>

"I'm well aware that I'm indebted to you. You are here to collect on that debt, I take it?" the source asked.

"Your minions have a wizard in their custody. I want him," The lady demanded. She knew very well that Gideon was in no position to deny her demand. Nevertheless she was sure the source would try to get something out of her in return. And she knew just what to offer.

"A wizard? Interesting. What would someone of your status want with a common wizard? If you don't mind me asking," Gideon inquired curiously.

"My reasons are my own. Let's just say that he's of vital importance to me and I don't trust you or your minions with his safety. But do not bother yourself with my reasons. I'm not unreasonable in making my demands. I've something to offer in return," the lady said. Gideon was curious as to what she was offering in return for the wizard. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I'm listening," the source said, intrigued.

* * *

><p>Merlin was cursing himself for his stupidity. How could he not see the demon approach him from behind? The mighty wizard had been knocked unconscious by a lump of wood. He was in a damp cavern when he came around. It was not difficult for him to break free of his bonds but he was in the underworld without the power of teleportation. Even if he was free, where was he going to go? The demons had used his own neck-kerchief to tie his legs and his shirt was torn and used to tie his hands. The most disgusting part was that they had used his socks to gag him. He was very, very sorry that he hadn't made time to wash his own dirty clothes after doing Arthur's laundry. Suddenly he realized there was someone behind him. He tried to get away but failed. Two hands grabbed him under his arms and pulled him to his feet.<p>

* * *

><p>"OK guys. We have too many problems in front of us and we need to figure out how to solve them in the quickest and most effective manner. I think first thing to do would be to make a list of all the things that need to be done. So let's star by listing our goals. I would say getting Dan back, fixing Reese's eyes and figuring out what went wrong with Evan are our short-term goals. Long-term goals would be vanquishing Gideon, finding out who this watcher guy is and what he wants with us. Not to forget fighting the big bad Ari keeps talking about. What do you guys think?" Chris posed the question as all of his family gathered in the attic after another couple of hours.<p>

"I think figuring out who Niles is should also be in our short-term goals," Piper added.

"Ok, so. First task; getting Dan back, Second task; fixing Reese's eyesight, third task; figuring out what happened to Evan and lastly; finding out who Niles is and what he wants," Chris took the notepad from Junior's hands and began enumerating the tasks.

"Right, we need to find Merlin in order to get Dan back. I did some research on Reese's accident. I'm afraid I have some bad news and some good news on that front," Chris said going in to his battle plan mode. Phoebe tensed a little at that.

"What do you mean bad news?" Coop asked his nephew. Chris took a deep breath.

"Well, the potion caused magical damage to his eyesight. And according to what I found in some of the texts, our failed attempts to heal it made it worse. It's kind of like relapsing illness. Our two attempts so far didn't heal him completely and it made the damage even more resistant to white-lighter magic. The time lapsed hasn't helped either. If I understand the situation correctly, trying to heal him now, even with the power of two, may make it worse. The sheer amount of magical energy required to reverse the injury now might damage his other senses if it doesn't kill him," Chris explained. Phoebe gasped and was about to burst into tears.

"You said you had good news as well?" Junior prompted the half elder.

"Well, it's not a cure, it's a workaround. Reese's visions are not premonitions. He's an oracle. I've had my suspicions ever since he had a vision of Aaron being stabbed but now they're almost confirmed. He can have more accurate visions of near and far future. I believe we can cast a 'power of two' spell and enable him to have visions in real time. The amount of magical energy needed for such a spell won't be as much since we're not giving him new magical abilities, we're only enhancing the existing ones. Besides, I think creating new abilities would be against the Wiccan laws. In my opinion, the magical energy required for such a spell would be more than any 'power of three' spell but not nearly as much as a 'power of two' enhanced healing. As such it should not cause further damage to him," Chris said looking reassuringly at his aunt Phoebe and uncle Coop.

"What do you mean 'in real time'? Like real time surveillance?" Wyatt asked. Chris nodded.

"Think of it as a magical sonar. Just instead of using sound, he'll be using his power of oracle. He'll have continuous visions of things that are happening right in front of him in the present. If we word the spell right, it will be as good as having his eyesight back. The only difference would be he'd be using his magic instead of eyes. I must admit that it will be tiring for him in the beginning but it could work," Chris elaborated. Everyone in the attic was astonished at this outlandish theory and knowing Chris, he must have done the research and must have been reasonably sure of its accuracy. Otherwise he would not have said anything.

"Do you really think it'll work?" Paige asked Chris.

"I believe it will. At least it has a better chance of working than white-lighter healing," Chris responded. Phoebe reluctantly nodded her agreement and Coop squeezed her hand in support.

"Ok. I guess the spell for Reese has to be very carefully worded. I think Junior and Chris should work on it. Now, to get Dan back, we need to find Merlin. Any ideas on how to do that?" Leo said.

"I could go back where he first found me. He might not be there anymore but it's a good place to start," Prue said. Wyatt was about to object but his remark was cut short by Ella's interjection.

"I'm coming with you. I want my brother back just as badly. And Wyatt, don't even think of stopping us if you don't want your hair being set on fire," she told Prue before warning Wyatt. The twice blessed looked at her indignantly but just then his scalp felt just a bit too warm to be comfortable. He thought for a moment before talking.

"Very well. But I'm coming too. And Ella, I know you are distraught. You lost your brother. But then I did too. So don't threaten me. I'm powerful enough to bind your powers, and just upset enough to actually do it. Keep that in mind," he told the half dragon in a steely voice. Ella scowled at him. Her eyes flared up with blue dragon fire. Wyatt returned the glare.

"Hey hey hey, guys, Lets all calm down shall we?" Carver put an arm around Wyatt and pulled him back while Chris did the same with Ella in case either of them launched an attack. The last thing they wanted was these two fighting for no reason other than taking out their anger and frustrations at their helpless situation.

* * *

><p>"Who're you?" Merlin asked as soon as the gag was removed from his mouth. The dark haired youth who had freed him from his bondage wordlessly offered him a shirt.<p>

"How did you know they destroyed my shirt and I needed another?" the wizard asked relentlessly.

"I was expecting something like this. We don't have time for pleasantries. We have to hurry and get you out of here," the boy said as the wizard dressed himself and tied his signature kerchief around his neck. The boy offered him a hand but the wizard hesitated to take it.

"I'm a friend. I helped you, didn't I? We have to hurry. I would avoid facing the source again if at all possible," the boy said.

"First tell me who you are," Merlin asked stubbornly.

"You can call me Niles. I just saved your future life from a terrible fate. And now I'm here to save you. I need you to finish your task before they force you to return to your time," Niles said. Merlin watched him disbelievingly.

"Yes. I know Chris's your future life. Now come on. Let's go before anyone shows up," Niles said answering the wizard's unasked question.

"Who're 'they' who would force me before my task is done?" came the next question from the skinny wizard. Niles rolled his eyes.

"The meddling elders. Now, let's go," Niles grabbed Merlin's arm and was about to orb when he heard the snobbish voice.

"What's the rush? Would you not give me a chance to show you my hospitality? After all, you _are_ in my realm," said Gideon. Niles gave a frustrated sigh.

* * *

><p>"Behave, you two. We have a bigger fish to fry and don't have time for your petty arguments," Chris admonished Ella and his big brother. The two were still seething but stopped their attempts to free themselves from Carver and Chris's grasps.<p>

"OK. Here's what's going to happen. Junior and I are going to the magic school and do some research on Reese's blindness. We will work on the 'power of two' spell we'll need to remedy Reese's condition. The two of you are going to behave yourselves and work with Prue and Carver to find Merlin. Mom, Dad, aunt Phoebe and aunt Paige, could you guys search the book and the magic school archives for any mention of this watcher fellow? Penny, Patty and Adam, you three can keep an eye on Evan. I don't think Gideon is after him but we have to be vigilant. Uncle coop is with Reese. Adam, please call your mom and dad before going to the hospital. Let them know what's happened and tell them that we might call them in case of emergency. Chop chop people. I have to get back to my studies once this mess is fixed. I cannot afford to miss any more classes if I'm ever to become a doctor," Chris took charge of the situation. Everyone in the attic left with their own means to perform their assigned tasks.

* * *

><p>"Do you know what he's done now?" Kheel asked Odin. Odin didn't have to ask whom his friend was talking about. Of course, he was talking about Arrazigal. No one else other than the Halliwells was proving to be so much trouble and challenge to their authority.<p>

"What did he do now?" Odin asked. Kheel was seething.

"He brought Merlin the wizard from the past. Apparently, he knows a way to bring back the vanquished half demon friend of the twice blessed. This cannot be tolerated," Kheel bit out.

"You're right. We cannot allow that. Granted that the half manticore was nothing but nuisance and I don't think he was worth our time. But once he's dead, he should remain dead. We cannot repeatedly allow the Halliwells to cheat death. We must stop them," Odin agreed with his friend. However, both were fully aware that Arrazigal was immensely powerful and if they were to oppose him and survive without being recycled, they had to tread very carefully. They had to get the entire elder council on their side with a unanimous vote. Even then Arrazigal could veto their decision and do as he pleased, but he would think twice before recycling them if the entire elder council supported them. The biggest obstacle was to convince Roland, Sandra and that brat of an elder, Kevin. Lately, he wasn't so sure about the loyalties of elder Jonah as well but at least he wasn't openly defiant of his authority like the Halliwell loving trio.

* * *

><p>"No thank you! I do not accept hospitality from demons. I'll be going now," Niles said.<p>

"Oh dear, I didn't mean to imply that you had a choice in the matter," Gideon said with an awful smile on his face. At his gesture, about two-dozen demons shimmered in. Unfortunately for the demons, all of them were standing too close together. Niles had tortured and vanquished quite a few upper level demons in past couple of hours in his search for the ancient wizard. Word had gotten around that the boy was very powerful and that he had escaped unscathed from the Halliwell Manor after injuring the Catalyst. His powers were rumored to be almost comparable with those of the Halliwell brats. Naturally, the demons summoned by the source were afraid. Gideon was a little confused as to why his minions stood huddled like a herd of sheep.

"It seems you have no choice in the matter. All you need to do is hand over the wizard. I'll admit that you're resourceful. You managed to find him and free him, well, almost managed. Someone powerful offered me your life and consequently your magic as a payment. I will consider sparing your life if you handover the wizard now. What say you?" Gideon asked.

"You don't think I have a choice, do you? Well, think again," Niles said throwing a meaningful glance at Merlin. The wizard smiled and muttered something under his breath. His blue grey eyes glowed golden momentarily and the ceiling of the cavern caved in and fell on top of the demons. Gideon flamed out just in the nick of time. When he flamed back in, all his demons had been vanquished. Niles and Merlin were still standing there and the two were smirking. Gideon was astonished and outraged.

"Let me guess. Your 'Lady' sent you after me without telling you who either of us was! This is priceless. I wish I could stand here and relish the disbelief on your face but sadly; I've got to go. You have a wonderful day!" Niles said with a Mock bow before dissolving into white orbs along with Merlin. Gideon fired up a fireball and threw it at the two but they were long gone by the time the deadly magical weapon reached the place they were standing. Gideon couldn't believe he had been outwitted by a white-lighter. The cavern walls were subsequently pummeled by barrage of fireballs.

* * *

><p>"Do you want to talk about it?" Junior asked his cousin. Chris, who was scribbling something on a piece of parchment, feigned ignorance.<p>

"Talk about what?" He asked. Junior rolled his eyes.

"You know well what I'm talking about, your memories. I know it's difficult to talk to Wy about it. The sisters and Leo didn't treat you too well in the past so it must be awkward to talk to them about it. The rest of our cousins are fairly young to understand what you're going through. Face it Chrissie, I'm the only one you can talk to. All I'm saying is I'm here for you if you need me," Junior said with a genuine smile on his face.

"I know. And I appreciate the gesture. It's just that all the memories I have so far are fragmented and scattered. I'm unable to create a comprehensive picture of Perry, or that of myself. I can remember doing so many questionable things, that at the moment, I don't like myself very much. What makes it worse is that I cannot remember why I did what I did," Chris told Junior. The blond witch could see the pain in the half elder's eyes. He instinctively put a comforting arm around his cousin.

"Tell me what you remember. What kind of questionable things? Talking about it might help," Junior said rubbing comforting circles on Chris's back.

"I remember killing a Valkyrie for her pendant. I remember trying to get the sisters to vanquish Dan as a baby. I remember bringing a demon in baby Wy's room. And these are just the ones from the time I went back to the past. There are quite a few more from the dark future that didn't happen. I don't understand how I could do those things," Chris said with tear filled eyes.

"Tell me, are all the Memories are like that? There must be quite a few where you did the right thing," Junior asked. Chris just nodded.

"Then you have to concentrate on the good memories. It is natural to feel regret for the bad things circumstances forced you to do. But don't hold your regrets too close to your heart that it will poison your soul," Junior said seriously.

"I'm not sure if I can," Chris responded dejectedly,

"You have to. Tell me something. Do you blame Wy for doing what he did in the dark future?" Junior asked. Chris shook his head Vehemently.

"I'd never..." Chris began but was cut off by Henry Jr.

"Then why do you blame yourself for the same?" the blond witch asked logically. Chris had no response to that.

"You're right. I shouldn't blame myself. I know that. But it's easier said than done," Chris said sadly.

"But you must try. And promise me something. If ever, you feel like blaming yourself, please come and talk to me?" Junior offered. Chris smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, Odie. That helped a lot," Chris said ruffling Junior's hair.

"Good. I'm glad to be of help. Now, if only I could get you to stop calling me Odie," Junior said with mock anger.

"Not very likely," Chris said chuckling as the two returned to the task at hand.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is the right place? I mean we've been interrogating demons for an hour now," Wyatt complained. The atmosphere was getting tense quickly and Carver was doing his best to keep his boyfriend from blowing the gasket.<p>

"As sure as I can be, Wyatt. Considering the fact that I had been knocked unconscious, tortured and tied up," Prue hissed. She was getting frustrated too and had little patience for Wyatt's whining. Their argument was about to escalate to a full-blown fight when they heard a familiar voice from behind.

"May be your interrogation techniques are not effective enough. I could give you a few pointers if you like," Niles said mischievously. Wyatt was beyond pissed. It took Carver and Prue's combined strength to restrain the twice blessed. Niles didn't seem too concerned.

"This is so not the time to poke the bear. Now, what do you want?" Carver admonished the boy. Surprisingly, Niles looked genuinely sorry.

"I have another gift for you. And this one won't hurt, I promise," he said gesturing towards Merlin. The wizard waived at them shyly.

"Merlin, where were you? How did you find us?" Prue exclaimed.

"I didn't. He did," the wizard said gesturing towards Niles.

"You're welcome. Now, I've got to go. There's a lot I need to do. Until we meet again," Niles said taking a mocking bow.

"Wait right there! You're not going anywhere without answering some questions," Wyatt bellowed.

"You must realize that you're in no position to demand anything from me. Carver, could you please make sure Merlin talks to Chris before he returns to his time? It's of vital importance. Thanks," Niles asked Carver very politely. This irked Wyatt even more. For some reason, Niles was not very fond of Wyatt. He was civil, even nice to every one else but the twice blessed. Wyatt was about to demand some answers once again but right then a loud thunderclap resonated throughout the cavern and a lightning bolt struck the place where Niles was standing. When the blinding flash of electricity subsided, Niles was nowhere to be found. For a brief moment, Wyatt thought Chris had orbed in behind the stranger and struck him with his elder bolts. But soon they realized that it was another one of Niles's mode of transportation besides orbing. Realizing there was nothing else to be done there, all five of them orbed back to the manor.

* * *

><p>"You must realize that this is outrageous. The Halliwells cannot be allowed to cheat our rules again and again. It is not in the best interest of the world to allow such favoritism. You must support us in stopping the Catalyst and the twice blessed from bringing their half demon friend back from the wasteland," Odin was trying to convince the elder council to support him. Kevin, being relatively inexperienced, was outspoken against the older elder's claims.<p>

"You mean to say it is not in the best interest of your position and authority. The Halliwells have done a lot of good over the decades. We should be supporting them and not hindering them. Did you even stop to consider the fact that the scion of balance has already sided with the witches? He's the one who brought Merlin the wizard from Camelot. He wouldn't go to such extreme measures if the threat to the world weren't real. We need to work together and not against the witches," Kevin argued passionately but that had little effect on the likes of Odin and Kheel. The argument continued and the elder council was in complete disarray.

Roland was eagerly waiting for the summons he knew was coming.

* * *

><p>"So, how do we get Dan back?" Prue asked the wizard eagerly. The wizard waited for everyone to gather in the attic. He was astonished and a little distracted by all the modern gadgets and commodities he had seen in the manor. He didn't want to explain the ritual twice and they would need the support of the entire family.<p>

"All right. The ritual needs three key elements. Firstly you need something physical and intimate to the deceased. Ashes of his mortal body would do nicely. Secondly, you need blessings from three representatives of the authorities that influence the world. Not just any authority figure, you need blessing from an elder, an angel of destiny and lastly, an angel of death. The last key element of the ritual is a sacrifice. Not any material offering but sacrifice of another human life," Merlin began explaining. Everyone present gasped and began staring at the wizard in disbelief when he revealed the last element of the ritual.

"No!" Prue was on the verge of tears. She couldn't possibly kill another human being to get her Dan back. This was proving to be a waste of time. The wizard smiled before continuing.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't ask you to murder a human or even slaughter an animal for the sake of ritual. For one reason, the sacrifice has to be a willing sacrifice and for another, it requires another form of the sacrifice," Merlin assured the Halliwells.

"What do you mean?" Chris was the one to voice the question.

"Every one of us has a fixed maximum lifespan that is decided at the time of our birth. For many who live a quiet and safe life, the uncertainty of death stems from the fact that we have no knowledge of the precise maximum lifespan…" Merlin said but Chris interrupted the wizard.

"But in the other timeline, Mom died on my fourteenth birthday. In this time line she's still alive and well. If her lifespan was decided at the moment of her birth, why would the moment of her death change with the change in the timeline that occurred decades after her birth?" Chris asked. Piper's heart was breaking all over again, thinking about Perry who lost his mother on his fourteenth birthday and than have that same mother hate him for interfering with her life.

"I was talking about fixed maximum lifespan," Merlin said but it didn't clarify anything. Leo was the one to elaborate.

"Think of it as making reservation at a hotel during peak season. Even if you reserved a room for ten days, you can check out early if needed. You will most likely loose your money but it can be done. But you cannot stay longer than ten days because the hotel has reservations for the same room after your designated stay is over. If you must stay longer, you'll most likely end up paying heavy charges. The same applies here. Piper's maximum lifespan could have been ninety years but it was cut short by circumstances in the other timeline. Same analogy applies here," The ex-elder explained. Merlin didn't understand the references to hotels and reservations but he was satisfied by the fact that everyone understood what he was saying.

"As I was saying, the ritual allows a person to share a part of their remaining maximum lifespan with the deceased. For example, if you have a maximum lifespan of eighty years and you are twenty years old, you can share a part of the remaining sixty years of your lifespan with a dead loved one so that they come back to life. If you shared half of your remaining lifespan, both of you will have the maximum remaining lifespan of thirty years. Which means, although you may die before you're fifty, you'll definitely not live beyond fifty. The trick however, is that you may never know how long you have to live. You could have decades to live and grow old with your loved one or you could have a month to live and you just cut it short to fifteen days by resurrecting your loved one for fifteen days as well," Merlin continued explaining.

"I'll do it," Prue said resolutely. Phoebe was shaking her head. She couldn't imagine the implications of her baby girl sacrificing half her life. Prue turned to her mother.

"Think about it mom, wouldn't you have done it for aunt Prue if you were given a choice?" Phoebe couldn't answer the question and broke into sobs.

"No. I'll do it. He's my brother, after all," Ella declared determinedly. For some reason that thought of Ella's premature death hurt Chris like anything. He was about to protest when Derek, Dan's father made the same declaration. Soon the attic was filled with arguments and counterarguments before a sharp whistle broke through.

"Good. Now listen to me. Does it absolutely have to be a single person who shares his or her life?" Came a voice from the door. Reese was standing there. He had heard enough of the argument and finally spoken up. Chris quickly moved forward and guided his cousin to a seat besides him. Coop arrived shortly looking for his son. He had fallen asleep on a chair and Reese had taken it upon himself to go to the attic without his father's help. The half cupid's question had opened a whole new possibility.

"What are you talking about?" Prue asked.

"All of us face death on a daily basis. What if the all of us who are willing share a small portion of their lifespan with Dan? Dan can grow old with us and at the same time no one has to die an untimely and certain death. Any of us can drop dead tomorrow but that's beside the point. I think it is far better for many of us to give up a couple of years of our lives than for one of us to sacrifice a couple of decades," Reese explained his point of view.

"It has never been done before by more than one person but technically, there is nothing stopping you from attempting it for the first time," Merlin answered.

"Can a person share his lifespan more than once?" Wyatt asked. Merlin shook his head.

"This ritual only works once in a lifetime for everyone involved. Which means once you share your lifespan with one deceased loved one, you cannot do it again," Merlin answered. Wyatt's eyes momentarily glanced at Chris.

"Then I can't do it," Wyatt said finally after hesitating a bit. Everyone was a bit surprised at the declaration. Of course, if they decide to go through with it, no one was being forced to participate. But this stand was uncharacteristic of Wyatt.

"You're thinking about me," Chris mused out loud. Wyatt avoided his eyes. Everyone was looking at the two, confused.

"Perry died on his twenty-third birthday. My twenty-third birthday is in a couple of months. There is a real possibility that my maximum lifespan is twenty-three years and that I could die on my birthday. You're thinking of sharing your remaining life with me should anything happen," Chris realized what was going on through his brother's mind. The half elder's voice choked in his throat. Chris walked to his brother and hugged him tightly.

"I'll always protect you, Kit," Wyatt said, returning the hug just as intensely. Piper broke into sobs.

* * *

><p>"How're they planning to bring me back?" Dan asked the angel of death. Clarence gave him a sad smile but didn't answer.<p>

"They're going to do something I'm not going to like, aren't they?" He asked desperately. He didn't want his family to suffer for him.

"What they decide to do is their prerogative. You do not have a say in the matter," Clarence said firmly.

"Why not? I don't want to go back if it means hurting my family," Dan declared.

"But you have to. You're supposed to play a key role in their destiny. If you don't go back, the consequences will be far worse," Came a voice from the attic door. Dan whirled around to see a young man about Chris's age.

"Who the hell are you?" Dan asked.

"You can call me Niles. Man! It's like an oven in here," the stranger said. Clarence smiled and gestured the stranger towards an empty chair. He was clearly expecting the dark haired witch-lighter to make an appearance. They had much to talk if they were ever going to convince Dan to go back.

* * *

><p>After much deliberation, everyone present in the attic decided to sacrifice a fraction of his or her life span to bring back Dan. Chris called Roland, Arrazigal and began the preparations to summon Clarence. Rolland and Arrazigan arrived instantly. Roland informed the witches that Odin was planning to interfere in the ritual and although currently he and Kheel were busy with the elder council, they didn't have much time.<p>

"It is time," Clarence said as he prepared to answer Chris's summons. As soon as the angel of death arrived, all the participants of the ritual stood around the urn with Dan's ashes. Each of them was holding small amount of water in his or her palm. As soon as Ari, Clarence and Roland gave their blessings, everyone let the water in their palm flow to the urn. The wind took up speed momentarily. The Ashes vanished in golden light, which coalesced into the form of Dan, alive and well.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Twelfth chapter.<strong>

**What do you guys think of Niles? Any guesses on the identity of our mysterious and handsome stranger? And what about the watcher and the Lady? Do we already know them?**

**Kindly read and review.**


	14. The Prophecy

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter and/or added me/this story to their favorites. Merlin will return to his own time in this chapter. As sad as I am to see him leave, his task in this time is done.

**Madlenita:** Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it.

**lizardmomma:** I'm glad you liked it. I cannot disclose more information about the lady and the watcher at this time but there are a few hints about Niles' real identity in this chapter.

**Crystalzap:** You were quite right in noticing the similarities between Niles and Chris. There is a very good reason as to why Niles acts so much like Chris. Your inference (Chris's alternate self / Chris's son) is somewhat close to the truth yet not quite accurate. The Prophesy revealed in this chapter has more hints.

**peanutbutterlover101:** Chris, Merlin, Arthur and the Winchester brothers are five of my all time favorite characters. There is a real possibility that we'll meet some of them in the sequel to the Catalyst.

**rettop-yrrah:** I honestly believe that the writers (and those responsible for creating Chris's character) have done grave injustice to Chris in the power department. I have read many stories that, in an attempt to rectify this unfairness, end up making Wyatt look pathetic. I always try my best to maintain the balance of power between the brothers as I believe there is no logical reason why one brother should be all powerful and the other so weak. I'm delighted to know you liked the way I portray the brothers.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or Merlin or any of their characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Prophecy<strong>

"Thank goodness you're OK. You're in so much trouble mister Walker," Prue growled at her boyfriend after showering him with kisses. Dan was still a little dazed from his encounter with death. He wasn't sure exactly how he'd been resurrected. But he suspected that it was something he wasn't going to like.

"How did it happen? How did you bring me back? Last time I remember I was in limbo, talking to… him," Dan said pointing towards Clarence, who was still standing in the attic. Every one in the attic was silent, trying to pretend the question wasn't even asked.

"Your family gave up a small fraction of their life in order to bring you back. You're very lucky to have love and support of such good people," Merlin said when nobody was willing to answer the half demon's question.

"You did what? Why would you do something like that? I'm not worth that kind of sacrifice…" Dan began his tirade, which was cut short by sharp pain in his stomach right below his sternum. It took him a moment to realize that his girlfriend had punched him in the gut.

"Aww. What was that for?" He asked hunched over with pain and a look of pure disbelief in his eyes.

"You will stop talking such nonsense right now. You're worth more to me than my life. I'd have given up my entire lifespan in a heartbeat if I had to," Prue said in a resolute voice.

"Dude, you're family. And we don't give up on family. Besides you gave up your life to save Prue and Chris. Did you really imagine we wouldn't return the favor?" Junior asked clapping Dan on the back.

"And don't you dare get yourself vanquished again. Merlin knows I'll bring you back just to kick you where it really, really hurts," Prue warned her boyfriend before kissing him again.

"How could I possibly know that?" Merlin asked dubiously. Chris let out a chuckle.

"It's just a figure of speech. For magical folk like us, it's like saying 'god knows' or 'god is my witness' when we use your name," Chris explained. Merlin was looking at the half elder disbelievingly as he could not imagine how his name could have become such a legend. He was just a manservant to his royal prattness Arthur Pendragon, the crown prince of Camelot.

"You did a lot of good for witches like us or rather will do after you return to your time. Thank you for that, by the way," Junior said putting an arm on the skinny wizard's shoulder. He looked just like his prince. It was very disconcerting for Merlin to see him being all warm and friendly. He knew deep down that Arthur trusted him and saw him more as a friend than a mere servant but his upbringing as a Prince prevented him from showing it. May be in time, Arthur would warm up to him but he wasn't holding his breath.

"You're welcome, I think. What exactly did I do, or rather will do for the magical folk?" Merlin asked Junior.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right. We can't tell you. You know, future consequences and all," Wyatt said awkwardly. Merlin couldn't believe this man was Arthur's future life. Looking at Chris, he couldn't believe this confident and shrewd yet kind looking young man was his own future life. It warmed his heart to see the brotherly affection Chris and Wyatt shared. Being an only child, he always longed for the affection of a sibling. He was glad to know he'll have a large, loving family like this in his future life, if not in this life.

"My work here is done. I'll see you when it's time, but hopefully not too soon. And Chris, nice to see you once again," Clarence said before vanishing in thin air. Chris smiled knowingly.

"Alright, guys, we've to get back to work. We've much to do," Chris said bringing everyone's attention to himself.

"Wait. There's something wrong with me. I feel somehow… different," Dan said looking expectantly at Arrazigal.

"Your demonic powers were stripped from you by the potion when you vanquished your self. You were brought back as a mortal," Arrazigal explained. Prue gasped.

"But that's not fair. He'll be a sitting duck without his powers. We face demons every day. How's he supposed to defend himself without his powers?" Prue asked the Angel of destiny angrily.

"Does every vanquishing potion have that effect?" Junior asked curiously.

"No. That's my fault. When I brewed the potion, I didn't have Arsenic. So I replaced it with Aconite and Saffron. It constitutes to a strong power-stripping potion when used with the Dragonfall that is already there in the manticore-vanquishing potion. I wasn't exactly bothered if the manticore's powers were stripped before it was vanquished as I was brewing the potion," Chris explained sounding much like the potions master that he was.

"But if…" Junior was about to ask another question about the effect of Aconite or Dragonfall or some such nonsense when Prue interrupted the two geniuses of the family from a scholarly discussion about potion ingredients.

"Doesn't matter. How do we fix it?" She asked the angel of destiny. Ari smiled.

"You must understand that his powers were stripped from his body before it was destroyed. Not bound, but stripped. There is no simple way to get them back," Roland was the one to answer. The Halliwells seemed to have forgotten that he was still there till he spoke up.

"But there is a complicated way," Junior asked shrewdly looking at Arrazigal.

"There has to be. I understand why Chris and I couldn't share our lives with Dan but may be we can share our powers," Wyatt said. Dan shook his head vehemently.

"No. You have a big battle ahead of you if we're to trust the so-called prophesy. You'll need your powers. I will not be the cause…." Dan said but was interrupted by Junior.

"Wait, what is the prophecy?" the blond witch asked the half demon. It was Arrazigal's turn to interrupt.

"I believe it is time that you know about the prophecy. But before that you need to address two critical issues. First being Daniel's powers and the second is Reese's blindness. Once you have addressed these problems successfully, I will personally deliver the prophesy to you. As for you, dear Roland, you need to return to the heavens and face the music," Arrazigal said as he dissolved in golden lights. Roland's orbs followed momentarily.

"Typical…" Piper muttered after long time. She was observing the exchange between her children and nieces and nephews with interest. She was so proud of her family.

"Well then. We have our work cut out for us. Odie, you and I should work on the spell for Reese. Carv, Merlin, the sisters and Dad could research on how to get Dan's powers back. Everyone else, who doesn't have a life, could research Evan's coma," Chris said as soon as the two angels left. Everyone hated to admit that they had virtually no life outside magic but that was the sad truth. Chris glanced at his cell phone. There were six missed calls from Catherine. Chris would be lucky if she ever spoke to him after being ignored like that. But his love life had to wait. There were more pressing matters that needed his attention.

* * *

><p>"He willfully disobeyed the elder council. There is no other way. Roland must be recycled," Odin demanded angrily. Roland had the misfortune of facing Odin and his followers when he returned from the manor. The elders had found out that while they were busy discussing the future course of action to stop the Halliwell witches from resurrecting the half manticore, one of their own had helped them do just that. It was too late now and there was nothing they could have done about Dan but they could still make an example out of Roland to avoid any such embarrassing situation in the future.<p>

"But it was the will of the 'scion of balance', Odin. It was inevitable. Don't you understand?" Sandra asked earnestly, fearing for her friend's very existence. Kevin was furious, which was unlike an elder. Roland on the other hand was calm as ever. He was observing this exchange with a polite indifference as if he was overhearing two strangers discussing the weather.

"You're just furious that Arrazigal outmaneuvered you again. This has nothing to do with the greater good. You just want to soothe your bruised ego," Kevin accused the older elder. Odin's face turned crimson with fury.

"Kevin, please. Let me handle this. Your outburst is not helping the situation," Sandra tried to calm the impulsive and relatively inexperienced elder. Kevin gave Odin a filthy look before orbing away without another word.

* * *

><p>"Are you OK?" Junior asked Chris. The two were in Chris's room, brainstorming ideas for the spell for Reese. Chris's idea was a radical one and they had to be very careful with the wording. Chris rolled his eyes.<p>

"Would you stop asking me that? I'm fine. Really," the half elder answered tiredly. Junior gave him a sad smile.

"It's just that I cannot even imagine what kind of burden you're carrying with your returning memories. And there is no one here who can truly understand. And you have an annoying inclination to hide your pain and bottle up your emotions…." Junior said but was interrupted by Chris.

"And you don't?" the half elder asked. Junior smiled.

"I guess all of us have that habit. Well may be all of us except the twice blessed drama queen. But you do have the tendency to suppress your emotions and then go nuclear one day with the slightest trigger. I'm just worried about you," the younger witch-lighter said. Chris chuckled.

"I know. And I appreciate it. It's just that some of the memories are a bit unsettling. But trust me, I can handle it. And if I ever find myself overwhelmed, I know where to find you," Chris assured Junior.

"Good, now what do you think about this one?" Junior said a bit relaxed as he handed a parchment to Chris.

"It's good but I don't think invoking 'fate' in this spell is a very good idea," Chris said scratching a word from the paper.

* * *

><p>"May be we can write a power of three or even a power of two spell to bring back Dan's powers," Paige suggested.<p>

"No it's too risky. And quite possibly falls in the personal gain category. What about potions that mimic our active powers? We could make a drinkable one that will give him some of the useful Wiccan powers," Piper suggested. Leo was the one to object this time.

"It would be temporary and too unpredictable. The potion will only work while it's in his body. You can never accurately predict when its going to get out of his system and how fast. I believe such potions are addictive as well. We don't want to create new problems while trying to solve the existing ones. Besides, we don't know how to mimic demonic powers and Dan is not used to the Wiccan ones. It will take too much time for him to learn," Leo expressed his objections.

"How about a power sucking atheme? It worked when I lost my powers. We can summon and vanquish a manticore with it. That way Dan will have his old powers back," Phoebe suggested.

"Except, we don't have access to any power sucking atheme. They're not exactly easy to come by," Again Leo was the skeptical one.

"What happened to the one we had back… you know, when…" Paige broke of her sentence and made wild and meaningless gestures with her hands to get her point across. Piper rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Paige. We can talk about 'you know when' without me having a mental break down, don't worry about me. We destroyed that atheme because we believed it would be too dangerous in wrong hands," Piper said effectively ending that line of thought. Merlin, who was curiously observing this exchange, spoke up.

"I know a way to put a spell in a material object. It has to be a powerful and unique object like a magical amulet or a ring. But I think I saw my future self, wearing one such amulet. I'm sure he'll give it up for his friend," The ancient wizard said enthusiastically.

"That amulet is supposed to protect him from evil. He's not giving it up. End of discussion," Piper said sharply looking at the skinny wizard.

"Sweetie, shouldn't it be Chris's decision?" Phoebe asked her elder sister.

"No, because we're not going to ask him. That way he doesn't have to make any decision," Piper said with a touch of finality.

"She's right. I have taken too much from you guys. I wouldn't dream of demanding more," Dan said as he entered the attic. Piper had the grace to look ashamed.

"I'm sorry Dan. I didn't mean to imply you're not important to us…" Piper began but Dan stopped her.

"No. It's OK aunt Piper. I understand. The fact that all of you gave up a fraction of your lives to bring me back speaks volumes as to how much you guys care for me. You have nothing to apologize for," Dan assured the Halliwell matriarch.

"You could use this one," Carver said taking off the amulet he was wearing around his neck and offering it to Merlin. The ancient wizard took it in his hands and examined it.

"This will work too," he said. Carver's face lit up with an excited smile.

"What does it do? How did you get it?" Phoebe asked curiously.

"It's not really important. You should use it if it helps. I'm going to make myself some coffee. Would anyone else like some?" Carver asked trying to change the subject.

"No really. I want to know," Dan asked. Carver took a deep breath. Phoebe thought his eyes seemed brighter with a hint of tears.

"It was my grandpa's. You guys already know I lived with my grandma for a little while after my parents disowned me for being gay. My grandpa was a witch and she was a mortal. That amulet was all she had of her husband's. And she gave it to me. I used to have nightmares and the amulet somehow helped," Carver explained.

"Carv. I couldn't possibly accept it. It's the only thing you have of your grandmother. You should keep it," Dan said handing the amulet back to Carver.

"I haven't had any nightmares since me and Wy got together. Somehow his very presence makes me feel safe. I don't need the amulet anymore. Besides you guys became my family after my granny passed away. She would want me to use it if it helps my family. My grandpa was a brave man just like Dan. He gave his life trying to save an innocent. I think he'll feel honored that his amulet is helping another brave soul like Dan," Carver said handing the amulet back to Merlin.

"Listen to me. If I understand it correctly, the ritual will not destroy or change the artifact in any way. It's just a conduit. Removing the amulet from Dan's body will take away the power from him leaving him defenseless. There has to be a better and permanent solution. Look at it as a temporary solution. We can use the amulet till we find another way. Afterwards we can remove the enchantment and Carver can have it back," Leo suggested.

"Thanks, man. I owe you," Dan said giving Carver a fierce hug.

* * *

><p>"How are we going to do it?" Patty asked her older cousin. Wyatt, the twins, Henry Sr. and Billie had gathered in the conservatory to strategize. Evan had been in coma for weeks by now and it was high time they found out exactly what was going on.<p>

"We cannot afford to waste any more time trying to figure out if Evan's accident was magical or mortal in nature. We just have to investigate both possibilities," Wyatt said.

"How do you mean?" Penny asked.

"Uncle Henry, you still have contacts in the San Francisco PD, yes? I think Darrel Morris's son Marcus is there too. Could you please find out if they have done any headway as to what happened that day? They must be looking for the driver too," Wyatt asked his uncle. Henry Sr. nodded affirmative.

"Good. Aunt Billie and I could go to the underworld and try to find out if there are any rumors floating around. Demons are idiots when it comes to keeping their mouths shut. If some demon is responsible for hurting one of us, I'm sure he or she cannot resist bragging about it," Wyatt declared.

"And what are we supposed to do?" Penny and Patty asked in unison. Their brother had sent them to the magic school earlier when the demons had attacked. But enough was enough. They would not be dismissed like that again.

"You should go to the …" Wyatt began but was cut off midsentence by Penny.

"If you say 'magic school', Wyatt, I will throttle you. We're not children. We're perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves," Penny hissed. Wyatt considered this for a moment.

"I wasn't going to suggest that you go to magic school. I was going to suggest that you should go to the hospital and keep an eye on Evan. Did you forget the demon spy in his room? We need someone there who is capable of vanquishing powerful demons," Wyatt said, reasonably sure that it was highly unlikely that anyone would attack Evan in the hospital. If they wanted to, they would have attacked by now.

"Don't think for a moment that we didn't notice the patronizing tone, Wyatt. But you're right. Someone has to keep an eye on Evan. So we'll do it," Patty said scowling at her cousin. Penny's eyebrows rose momentarily in surprise at her twin sister's stand but she schooled her features immediately. Even Wyatt was a bit suspicious at the quick capitulation from the two but he wasn't observant enough like Chris or Junior to notice Penny's changing expression.

"So what's the plan?" Penny asked her sister as soon as Wyatt and Billie left. Henry Sr. went to make some phone calls to his buddies in the police department.

"Well, first we go to Evan's room as we promised," Patty said.

"In case Wyatt is sensing us," Penny said jumping on her twin sister's train of thought. Patty nodded affirmative.

"Then we go to the only place where we can get some information," Patty continued.

"Underworld? I'm not sure about that. What if we get caught? Do you know what kind of trouble we'll be in? Besides, Dan and the three musketeers are geniuses when it comes to disguising themselves. They get most of their info from demonic bars. We don't even look old enough to enter a mortal bar, let alone a demonic bar" Penny asked worried.

"We don't have to go to any bar. I have a batch of our strongest potions hidden at magic school. I hid it when we were brewing them. We can pick them up and vanquish some demons. I'm sure at least a few demons would be smart enough to realize that the only way to live is to give us the information we need," Patty said. Penny couldn't find a flaw in her sister's logic. Eventually she conceded and the two orbed away.

* * *

><p>"I think we've got it," Junior said excitedly. Chris scrutinized the spell one last time before nodding affirmative. It had taken them a couple of hours but they had a spell for Reese that could work.<p>

"Yes. This should work. But if it doesn't, we're screwed," the half elder said.

"It's going to work. It might be our best work after the time stop spell. Get Wy and go to the magic school. Where is Wyatt, by the way? I can't sense him," Junior said, his eyebrows furrowed, trying to concentrate and sense his older cousin. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.

"He's in the underworld. Probably frying some demons and trying to find out about Evan," Chris said.

"You can sense him all the way in the underworld?" Junior asked raising his eyebrows.

"Don't be so surprised. Between my powers as Catalyst and our bond, I can sense him anywhere. I just can't get a fix on exact location on my own if he's in the underworld. But if he responds to me over our link, I can get his location anywhere. I've done it before when you got yourself kidnapped by Savat, the demon of pain," Chris said as he put away the remaining parchment and pen to their proper place.

"Wyatt found me…" Junior began but Chris corrected him.

"No, his astral projection found you. We were at magic school; remember? I sensed Wy just before he entered the cavern. We went to magic school and astral projected ourselves. I came to the manor and Wy went back to save your ass," Chris reminded his little cousin.

"Yes, yes. I get it. The mighty Catalyst can do anything. Anyway, you go find Wy. I'll get mom and the aunts," Junior said orbing away without waiting for Chris's response. Chris rolled his eyes.

"Ever the impatient one," Chris muttered before dissolving into white and blue orbs himself.

* * *

><p>Down in the underworld, the source was plotting his next move.<p>

"Is the poison ready?" Gideon asked the elder dark-lighter. The vile creature had a nasty smirk on his face as he nodded affirmative.

"I wish I could be the one to use it on the Catalyst. But alas, we only have enough poison for one shot. I had to use the last of the dragon fairy wings that I had. They are extinct now and nothing short of time travel will enable me to make any more poison. We need some one with an excellent shot as we won't get another chance," The elder dark-lighter responded.

"We won't need another chance. Are you sure this poison works as you described?" The source asked.

"Yes, sire. As soon as the poison touches a white-lighter's skin; his powers will be stripped. And so will of those of any white-lighter who would try to heal him. If everything goes as planned, the Catalyst will die and twice blessed will become powerless," the elder dark-lighter said gleefully.

"Ah. But the Catalyst is not the target this time. It's his brother. I want the Catalyst to live as a mortal and suffer the agony of his beloved brother's death," Gideon said with a wicked smile.

* * *

><p>"So, what power do you want placed in the amulet?" Merlin asked Dan as soon as the preparations for the ritual were complete. Everyone in the attic had a different suggestion. Piper suggested something offensive like fireballs. Paige believed shimmering was more important for a quick getaway. Leo was of the opinion that Dan needed a shield like Wyatt. Dan had no idea what to choose.<p>

"Telepathy," Carver said firmly. Everyone was looking at him in astonishment.

"No offence dude, but how would I defend myself? By talking to the demons in their mind?" Dan asked incredulously.

"No, you will protect yourself like this," Carver said as he flicked his left hand and a cup sitting on the windowsill exploded. He had just tapped into Piper's powers using his telepathy.

"Did you just tap into my power?" Piper asked disbelievingly. Carver smiled at her sheepishly. Piper tried her best to look indignant but seeing Carver's angelic face and innocent smile, she couldn't maintain the expression.

"You're surrounded by Halliwell powerhouses. Telepathy can be a very useful power in such situation. You will have access to a variety of offensive powers if the three musketeers are around and half the family has some sort of teleportation power. Believe me, telepathy is the best power to have if you cannot have more than one at a time," Carver explained his point of view.

"But it took you forever to master tapping into anyone's power. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first time you managed it. The learning curve is too steep and I'm not a genius like Chris or Junior. I do not have the time to learn everything from scratch," Dan objected.

"First of all, it took me forever because there was nobody around to teach me. That's not the case with you. I'm here for you. Secondly, this is the only way I can think of to get more than one power despite the limitation of the ritual. And lastly, any offensive power I could tap into from Wy or Chris was foreign to me. I was only used to passive powers. That was another obstacle in my path. But you're already used to firepower. I believe you will learn quickly," Carver made his case.

"But if Chris and Wyatt or any of us for that matter, are close enough to him so that he can tap into our powers, we can protect him. Our main concern is what happens if the demons find him alone and defenseless," Paige argued. Phoebe nodded in agreement.

"But the demon who attacks is not going to be powerless. I always felt that it would have been easier to tap into a demon's powers if I tried. They don't have such strong mental blocks like you guys do. I never attempted it because I was afraid that the demonic power would have been too seductive and I didn't want to take that chance. But that doesn't apply to Dan. He's used to demonic powers and quite immune to their seduction. He can just tap into his attacker's own power and vanquish him," Carver said.

"So my only options are either to tap into my enemy's power or learn to use Wiccan ones," Dan said not very enthusiastically.

"It's not going to be easy. But what choice do you really have?" Carver asked the half demon. Dan knew that he didn't have any. At least this way, he had Carver to teach him to use telepathy and the rest of his friends to teach him how to use their own powers. The deliberation continued for some time before everyone agreed that enchanting the amulet with telepathy was the best option in their current predicament.

* * *

><p>"Hello ladies," came a voice from behind. Penny and Patty turned around at lightning speed and threw a potion vial in the direction of the voice. The sound of the voice was almost angelic and extremely out of place in underworld. But the sisters knew better than to judge someone on appearance, especially in the underworld.<p>

"Now, is that any way to treat someone who is trying to help you?" The voice said. From the shadows, came a handsome young man with a mischievous smile on his face. The first potion vial had apparently missed its mark. Without hesitation, Patty threw another vial. With a lazy flick of two fingers of his left hand, he telekinetically flipped the vial away from him.

"That's not the most effective interrogation tactic. After all if you vanquish first and ask questions later, you're not likely to get any answers. You know, dead demons don't talk," he said, smiling.

"Some living ones talk too much," Penny quipped. The stranger smiled with amusement and nodded affirmative.

"That's true. But if you're referring to me, you're sadly mistaken. I'm not a demon," the boy said.

"Then who are you?" Patty asked cautiously raising another potion vial. She almost threw it when an unnatural gust of wind momentarily brushed her hair.

"You know, if being in the underworld makes you that jumpy, perhaps it's sign that you're not ready to be here," he said thoughtfully.

"Who are you?" Patty asked stressing on each word. At that moment the stranger threw his hands away from his body and the twins were thrown back into the cavern wall. Patty hit her head on a rather large boulder and was knocked unconscious. Penny quickly pulled herself together and rushed towards her sister. She saw a stream of white-hot electricity shot from the stranger's hand followed by a clap of thunder. But the bolt of electricity wasn't aimed at her or her sister. Agonized screams of at least five demons told her that the stranger had saved their lives.

"Is she OK?" He asked Penny who was weeping by now. Neither of them had been able to heal yet. To her surprise, the stranger approached the two and began healing her sister. Within moments Patty sat up, dazed and confused.

"You're a white-lighter?" Penny asked the boy, surprised. He chuckled.

"I've been many things; to many people. My name is Niles. You weren't at the manor when I visited. But perhaps you've heard about me from your cousins?" Niles asked after introducing himself. Recognition dawned on the twin's faces.

"That we have. You have caused quite a bit of speculations in the family. Chris and Junior seem to like you. Wyatt, on the other hand, not so much," Patty said standing up. Niles's face lit up with a smile.

"I would expect as much. Now, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?" he asked them in a stern voice that reminded them strongly of Chris. Patty was about to give some scathing answer but Penny interrupted her sister.

"We're looking for some information about Evan," She told him. Niles was thoughtful for a moment.

"I cannot help you with Evan. That situation should become clearer on its own very soon. But there is some other useful information I have that you should take back to your family," Niles said. Penny was eagerly listening.

"Now, I need you to listen carefully. One of the elder dark-lighters has created a special poison for someone in your family. It is fatal to anyone with white-lighter blood. It cannot be healed because it strips the powers of any white-lighter or elder that tries to heal the victim. Which means the victim will die without healing and the one who tries to heal them will become a mortal. I cannot tell you exactly who the intended victim is as it will violate the future consequences rule. But I'm sure your brother and Chris can figure it out. But they need to be very careful," Niles said in a serious tone. The twin's faces darkened with worry. They were reasonably sure that Niles really was trying to help them and that there was no real reason for him to come up with such a lie. They had to return to the manor before the three musketeers found out about their little unauthorized excursion. But Patty couldn't help but feel disappointed at the fact that this information had simply been handed to them and that they hadn't really proved themselves as they had intended.

"What?" Niles asked raising his eyebrows as he observed Patty's changing expression.

"The whole point of us coming down here was to prove to our family that we could take care of ourselves. So far the only thing I have accomplished is being knocked unconscious after vanquishing a couple of lower level demons," she answered dejectedly. Niles smiled sadly.

"If you ask for my opinion, you two are just as smart and clever as your cousins and brother. And I'm not saying it just to make you feel better. You're just inexperienced and young. You two are going to have plenty of opportunities to prove yourselves. Don't rush it. Enjoy the carefree existence while you can. But if you want, you can tell them that you gained the information about the poison from demons you interrogated. I don't mind," Niles said not unkindly.

"No, that wouldn't be as satisfying as actually proving ourselves. But thanks for the information anyway. Besides Chrissie and Odie have this annoying ability to sense when we're lying. It wouldn't have worked anyway," Penny answered. At that very moment, five more demons shimmered in. Niles immediately entered the battle mode and began frying the vile creatures while making sure the twins were out of harm's way.

* * *

><p>Wyatt was in another part of the underworld with Billie trying to gather any information about Evan. So far their mission had been a spectacular failure. Wyatt had tortured and vanquished a couple of dozen demons in last hour or so with no luck. He felt a little relieved when he heard his brother's call asking him to return to the manor. Unknown to them, the two were being watched. A dark-lighter marksman had his bow trained at Wyatt's back, ready to shoot an arrow with deadly poison. But he had strict instructions from the source not to attack unless Christopher Halliwell was around to try and heal his brother. The dark-lighter was disappointed to see an older witch accompanying the twice blessed instead of his kid brother.<p>

To his disappointment, the twice blessed and the witch orbed out of the cavern as if in a hurry.

* * *

><p>"So, you have the spell for Reese?" Phoebe asked Junior in a hopeful voice. Junior nodded affirmative.<p>

"We believe this should work," the blond witch-lighter said to his aunt.

"Wait. You believe this will work or this _will_ work?" Phoebe asked frowning. Henry Jr. gave her a sad smile.

"Chris and I came up with this spell. We believe it's one of our best work," Junior reassured her. Phoebe shook her head violently.

"This is my son we're talking about. I'm not taking any chances," Phoebe said scared to think what would happen if the spell backfired.

"There are no guarantees with magic aunt Phoebe, you should know it better than anyone else. If you don't trust Odie and me to write a spell for Reese, you're welcome to try. We'll cast your spell if it makes you feel more comfortable," Chris said in an uncharacteristically stony voice as he entered the attic. Phoebe winced a little at the hint of coldness in his voice. He looked more like the neurotic white-lighter from a dark future that he once was. Junior raised his eyebrows at Chris but didn't say anything.

"No. I trust you. I'm sorry. I'm just a little on edge here," Phoebe said in an awkward voice. The way Chris's demeanor turned from cold and calculating to warm and loving in moments was disconcerting. Junior made a mental note to talk to Chris about his mood swings later.

"I understand, aunt Phoebs. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I'm sorry too. But the fact remains that you have more experience in spell writing than us. So if you think this won't work or has a chance of backfire, tell us without hesitation," Chris said in this usual soft and caring voice.

"No. I'm just being paranoid. You two have the real talent to write excellent spells. I could never have managed to pull off something like your time-stop spell. Besides, I haven't seen any of your spells backfire since you were nine. I trust the two of you. Get Reese and cast the spell. I can't wait any longer," Phoebe said to her nephew. Chris nodded as Wyatt orbed in with Billie.

"Shall we go to the magic school and cast the spell or bring Reese here?" Junior asked. Everyone agreed that the spell had a better chance of working in the Halliwell stronghold. Within moments, Coop arrived with his son from magic school.

"Are you ready, bugs?" Chris asked ruffling Reese's hair. Reese smiled at the childhood nickname and nodded enthusiastically. Chris was touched by Reese's absolute trust in him. Wyatt and Chris held hands and tapped into 'the power of two' as they began chanting the spell.

As Danger befalls the oracle's vision

The Power of two offers salvation

The ability to see events impending

Extend it to see the present ensuing

"Did it work?" Phoebe asked anxiously. Everyone was looking at Reese expectantly. The expression on Reese's face changed from apprehensive to disbelieving to ecstatic in moments.

"I can see again!" Reese exclaimed. He jumped up from aunt Pearl's couch and pounced on Chris and Wyatt.

"Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you," the boy said over and over again giving Chris and Wyatt a fierce hug. He then turned to Junior and thanked him just as gratefully. After all, Junior had put in as much effort in writing the spell as Chris had. The whole family was overjoyed. Finally something had gone their way.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure about it? Did the 'scion of balance' really make such an offer?" Odin asked Kheel. The later nodded affirmative.<p>

"If he dies for the cause. That's the only condition," Kheel informed his colleague.

"Hummph. Then we have to make sure he stays alive long enough to suffer the consequences of his actions. We cannot allow such behavior to be rewarded in such a manner. If his sentence is carried out before his death, the angel of destiny will not be able to interfere," Odin said adamantly. He called a senior white-lighter in his confidence and instructed him to keep an eye on the perpetrator.

* * *

><p>"Did you guys make any headway with Dan's powers?" Chris asked his mother. In response, Dan stood up. He flicked two fingers of his left hand just like Chris did while using his telekinesis. But nothing happened. Chris raised his eyebrows. The frustration on Dan's face disappeared instantly and was replaced by an impish smile. Chris was startled as he heard Dan's voice in his head.<p>

"I know all about Catherine. I know you've been a naughty boy, little Chrissie," Dan said telepathically in his unofficial baby brother's head. The surprise on Chris's face turned into scowl.

"Careful demon boy. No one other than Junior, Carver and Wyatt knows about her. Say one word to anyone else and you will live just long enough to regret it," Chris made a threat in his mind, assuming that if Dan had telepathy like Carver, he will hear it. He knew his threat will never be taken seriously but he had to make a point. The amusement on Carver and Dan's face told him that both had heard it.

"I'm beginning to regret our decision to give Dan telepathy. It was bad enough having one telepath around. Now we have two of them having secret conversations," Piper growled as she observed changing expressions of the three boys.

"Alright, shall we summon Arrazigal? We have solved both our immediate problems and I, for one, am dying to know what this top-secret prophecy is," Junior said.

"You are just as impatient as your sisters, Odie," Chris said but then scowled.

"Where are they anyway? I cannot sense them," he added.

"They were supposed to keep an eye on Evan," Wyatt said scowling, as he too couldn't sense the twins.

"They're in the underworld," Chris and Junior whispered to each other at the same moment. They had to keep their voice low so as to not worry the rest of the family. Wyatt was still confused.

"Wy' tell me what happened when you talked to them. Don't leave any details," Junior said to the twice blessed.

"Please tell me they're not where I think they are," Wyatt hissed realizing his little cousins had fooled him. The rest of the family gathered around as they heard Wyatt's outburst, worried. On Chris's prompt, Wyatt narrated the entire conversation, still fuming. Chris rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"And you didn't think they were up to something? Have you ever seen those two give up that easily? Were you watching for their reactions?" Chris asked his big brother. Wyatt glared at him.

"If I knew they were planning something, do you think I would have let them go through with it? Forgive me for not being neurotic and skeptical all the time" Wyatt shot back.

"There's no point in sniping at each other. We need to find them and fast," Junior interjected before the squabble between Chris and Wyatt could grow into a full-blown argument.

"Any ideas on where they might have gone?" Chris asked Junior, dropping his row with Wyatt.

"They must have gone to Evan's room at the hospital first as they had said just in case Wyatt was sensing them," Junior reasoned.

"None of you can sense them?" Piper asked, worried. Everyone in the attic with white-lighter blood shook their head negative.

"May be they're just blocking you," Phoebe said hopefully.

"No one in this family can block Chris. His half elder status makes it next to impossible to hide from him. It's annoying as hell but it has saved my ass more than once. Besides, they're not skilled enough to block me. Let alone Chris," Junior said pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We should go to Evan's room and try to track them from there," Carver suggested. Chris shook his head.

"It has been too long for me to follow their orb trail. It will take too long to find them this way. I think the best option right now is for us to summon them," the half elder said reaching for the candles in the shelf. Wyatt and Junior quickly grabbed the rest of the ingredients necessary for the summoning ritual. Junior grabbed an atheme and sliced his index finger as he chanted the summoning spell.

In this night and in this hour

I call upon the ancient power

Blood to blood, I summon thee

Blood to blood, return to me

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

"May be it'll work if I enhance your powers as a Catalyst," Chris said thoughtfully. Junior nodded affirmative. Chris moved closer to Junior and touched his shoulder with his left hand. Junior recast the spell.

* * *

><p>Down in the underworld, the twins and Niles were attacked by wave after waves of demons. Niles had single handedly vanquished ninety percent of them giving the sisters a chance to observe Niles carefully.<p>

"He's powerful, not to mention hot," Penny whispered to her sister who promptly rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you seeing Adam?" she asked her twin.

"We haven't actually been on date yet. Last time he asked me out the day Evan suffered the accident. We haven't talked about it since. Besides, I'm allowed to notice hot boys. It's not like Adam's my boyfriend or anything," Penny said as she dodged a stray fireball.

"He's probably from the future. Think about it. He could be our nephew, or even worse, your son. Think of that possibility before you hit on him," Patty warned. Penny made a disgusted face.

"I was not going to hit on him. Merlin, you're disgusting," she said, annoyed at her sister.

"You were the one who said he was hot," Patty began to argue but was interrupted by Niles.

"Girls, I hate to interrupt this highly inappropriate conversation but you have to get out of here. It's becoming too dangerous," Niles said as he pushed the two into a small alcove created by some fallen rock. Penny was red as a tomato with embarrassment as she realized that Niles had heard her remark.

"But you…" Patty tried to protest but was cut off by Niles.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," he said, as he was about to orb them to the manor. But before he could do that, golden lights enveloped the twin signifying they were being summoned by their family. Within moments the two disappeared leaving Niles alone to fight another wave of demons.

* * *

><p>"What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea what you two put us through?" Wyatt was literally screaming at the twins. No one was exactly happy by the stunt the two had pulled but there was no point in all of them yelling at the two culprits when Wyatt was doing an excellent job at scaring them. The next half an hour was spent in more yelling, arguing, grounding, more yelling and finally apologies. After every one had calmed down a little, Penny and Patty told the family about their encounter with Niles and what had happened while the two were in the underworld. Most importantly they had told them about the new poison.<p>

"I think it's high time we know about the prophecy. May be it will help us with our future course of action. Shall we summon Ari?" Henry Jr. asked. At that moment, golden lights coalesced into the form of Ari.

"No need to summon me. I'm here. But before we proceed with the prophecy, There is something else I need to take care of," Ari said as he turned to Merlin.

"You, ancient wizard, it is time for you to return home. Your task here is almost done," Arrazigal said as he offered a hand to Merlin.

"Wait, Niles said something about Chris talking to Merlin before he left, didn't he?" Carver asked, unsure.

"Yes, he did," Prue said remembering their conversation.

"He let the cat out of the bag already, did he? Very well. I'll wait till you two are done," Ari said, a bit amused.

Everyone was looking at Chris and Merlin expectantly. Chris had no idea as to what they were supposed to talk about but apparently Merlin did. He approached Chris and demanded that the half elder orb the two to some secure place where nobody could hear them. Chris raised his eyebrows but obliged.

"The elders can listen in on you anywhere other than the underworld," Arrazigal warned the two as they left. He, apparently, knew what they were talking about. But he was the leader of the angels of destinies, after all. There was no surprise that he knew. They didn't have to wait too long as Chris reappeared in the attic within five minutes. Ari promptly opened a portal and sent the skinny wizard back to his time. Everyone had taken great liking to the ancient wizard and all were a little sad because of his departure.

"So what did Merlin say to you?" Wyatt asked.

"I can't tell you. Future consequences," Chris said glancing mischievously at his mother. Piper rolled her eyes and wiped her tears. The neurotic obsessive and over-protective boy she thought she had lost decades ago was truly back.

"But he's from the past. How could he know the future?" Junior asked.

"Merlin doesn't but Niles does. Let's just say Merlin taught me a spell that, according to Niles, will be useful to me in the future. I cannot tell you anything more than that so don't push it," Chris uttered the last sentence with that uncharacteristic coldness. Piper's eyes were welling with tears as Chris's current stance and tone of voice was not of the boy she had raised but the one she had lost.

"I'm sorry mom, I know it's difficult for you," Chris said pulling his mother in a hug. Piper was sobbing in his chest. After a few moments of awkward silence in the attic, Junior spoke up.

"So, what is this prophecy anyway? Are you going to tell us now?" the blond witch-lighter asked.

Ari smiled and nodded affirmative. He walked towards Reese and put a hand on his back.

"The prophecy can only be revealed by an oracle. Close your eyes and concentrate on your cousin. Try to see his future and the prophecy will come to you," Ari instructed Reese. The half cupid did as he was asked. Nothing happened for several long moments. And then, with a monotonous voice of some one dispassionate, Reese began reciting the prophecy. Junior quickly grabbed a parchment and began noting it down.

* * *

><p><span><em>The mayhem approaches. <em>

_The second son of the second daughter holds the key to redemption. _

_Born as the perpetual daylight fades, born seven nights to winter solstice, the Catalyst will decide the fate of the world. _

_Fall of the listener, brother and a friend, will mark the beginning of the ultimate end. _

_A friend from past will bring gift of life as a stranger from the future brings the curse of strength. _

_Ultimate sacrifice of a virtuous friend; will save the king from an untimely end. _

_If the baron of hell does fall, the listener may rise once again. _

_Mask of a friend, face of a foe, the lady will deal the ultimate blow._

_That, what remains when the mind and reason are stripped away, will guide the Catalyst in his ultimate test. _

_Two paths to take; to decide two fates; destinies of two brave warriors await. _

_The redeemer and the destroyer battle to the end but one may not live while the other meets his end. _

_We cannot see the way out of this stalemate, but neither can the lady of perpetual darkness. _

_That is the answer to the unknown question. _

_Our vision is blurred, as the future is uncertain, following the path of least resistance._

_Only the end is certain. _

_The plunge in the void is inevitable._

* * *

><p>"Why can't they write prophesies in simple English? Why does it always have to be riddles?" Wyatt said irritated. He was not a meathead but he didn't particularly like to strain his brain either. Without paying attention to Wyatt's whining, Chris and Junior had already begun to take apart each statement that came out of Reese's mouth.<p>

"The first sentence is a warning, obviously. Although anyone who bothers to read the rest of it can deduce the implications without it. The next two tell us that Chris is the Catalyst. Aunt Piper is the second daughter and Chris is second son. Uncle Leo fixed the perpetual daylight caused by the screwed up balance between good and evil worlds when he fried Gideon. Chris must have been born at that crucial moment. It was thirteenth of December, which is a week before winter solstice. If Ari hadn't issued a gag order, there would have been no doubt as to Chris's status as the Catalyst and he would have been on the demonic hit list since birth," Junior observed.

"This is really unusual. Prophecies are usually not this specific. There is always certain degree of uncertainty," Leo said thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess the vagueness in the rest of it makes up for it," Phoebe said chuckling.

"What do you think it means by 'fall of the listener' in the fourth sentence?" Wyatt asked.

"Someone who's a good listener, may be?" Dan suggested. Carver shook his head. Wyatt sensed his boyfriend's uneasiness and put a comforting arm around his waist.

"Its Evan. He's the listener," the telepath said, his voice choking.

"What do you mean? What's a listener?" Chris asked.

"Evan is an empath. Growing up with him, I always felt that there was more to it than that. An empath can channel emotions but many times it almost felt like he could listen to my thoughts. He cannot initiate a mental dialog like me but he can hear your thoughts if your guard is not up. I think that's what it means by 'fall of the listener' in the fourth line. Think about it. Evan's accident was one of the events that marked the beginning of this whole debacle," Carver explained.

"If that is true, then the seventh line is a good news. Evan will get better after we defeat the source. Assuming 'the baron of hell' means Gideon, of course. But if we're mistaken and 'the listener' refers to something evil and nasty, we might be in some trouble," Junior said looking at Chris.

"I think Carv's explanation makes most sense at the moment. Unless we find any evidence to the contrary, we can take it as a working hypothesis. And that does give us hope that Evan is going to be all right. I'm not sure of the brother and friend part though. He is Carv's brother and our friend but if the term 'listener' is enough to establish Evan's identity, why use two additional words to describe him?" Chris posed the next set of questions.

"Or does it mean three separate people are going to suffer? Dan's death, temporary though it was, could fit the 'fall of friend' part but what about 'the brother'? Are these in a chronological order?" Junior said. Wyatt's face darkened. Chris understood why exactly.

"I think it does. I think 'fall of brother' refers to me," Chris said. Piper gasped at this revelation. After the timeline, where Chris had been killed by the Equalizer, was erased, Wyatt had not told his family about the events in the erased timeline to save them the pain. Wyatt was the only one to _remember_ the two timelines because of his unique role in erasing one of them. But Chris was there too. He _knew_,because Wyatt had told him before returning to the present.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Piper almost shrieked.

"That's right, mom. I died. But Wy and Junior fixed it. That's what the prophesy means by 'fall of a brother'. Granted, Evan is alive but 'fall' could mean incapacitated and not necessarily dead like me and Dan," Chris told his opinion. On his mother's insistence, Wyatt revealed to his family what had happened in the erased timeline. Piper was certainly not happy with the revelation that unknown to her, her precious peanut had died and there was nothing she had been able to do to protect him.

"The 'friend from past' must mean Merlin. He was the one to tell us about the ritual that gave Dan his life back. Which means Dan's resurrection was foretold. Which also means that they cannot punish Roland for helping us," Leo said with a hint of hope in his voice. Roland had been his friend for a long time while he was a white-lighter and then an elder. The idea that his friend could be punished, or worse, recycled for helping his family was inconceivable.

"Which means 'the stranger from future' could refer to our illusive friend Niles," Junior said.

"I'm not so sure about the friend part. Even the prophecy doesn't call him a friend just a stranger. But you're right; it's probably him. But what does it mean by curse of strength? How can strength be a curse?" Wyatt said scowling after being reminded of Niles.

"Well, the prophecy doesn't call him a foe either. If I have assessed his powers accurately, it is a good thing if he's not our enemy. Merlin knows we've enough of them. I think it refers to my unlocked memories. They give me Wisdom and knowledge from another lifetime. Knowledge is strength but it is also a curse because I have to remember a horrible life," Chris said closing his eyes. Most of his memories were back by now and he was sure he was going to have nightmares for weeks to come. But ironically enough the same memories had given him strength to endure them.

"That is' the most recent event. If this prophecy is in a chronological order, I don't like the implications if the next line," Phoebe said reading through the parchment.

"The 'king' certainly means Wyatt. He's the heir to the Excalibur and modern day Arthur. The poison Penny and Patty found out about, it must be meant for Wyatt. It says Wyatt will be saved but it also means we'll loose a friend. I for one will not accept loss of another friend. We've lost more than our fare share of friends over the past decades," Paige said resolutely.

"But in order to protect this friend, we have to figure out who he is first," Junior said. Chris was about to say something in response but he never got a chance. A dark-lighter orbed in at the very moment and aimed his crossbow at Wyatt. This was it. Chris moved to push Wyatt out of the way but before he could, the arrow was speeding towards Wyatt's chest.

Amazingly, the air between the speeding arrow and Wyatt filled with blue and white orbs. A body clad in golden robes coalesced and collapsed to the ground. Roland was lying on the attic floor with a deadly arrow embedded in his heart.

'Ultimate sacrifice of a virtuous friend,' the words from the prophecy droned in Chris's brain like hive full of angry bees.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Thirteenth chapter.<strong>

**Is Roland gone for good? Or will we see him again? Niles is a stranger for sure but will he become a friend or a foe? And what are Odin and Kheel up to? Let me know what you think.**

**Kindly read and review.**


	15. Twenty Questions

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapter and/or added me/this story to their favorites. I'm sorry about the delay. For past few months, I have been working full time and trying to finish all the requirements for my graduation. It has been a hectic few months. But the good news is I have finished all the needs for my graduation and I should get a little more time to do some fun stuff like writing fanfics.

I have a couple of ideas about Charmed-Harry Potter crossover where the Halliwell brothers will fight evil alongside the three Gryffindors. I might throw in a bit of Draco as well. These are all a bunch of ideas floating around in my head at the moment but I think I'll put something down on the paper soon.

**Adorereading : **Half of the events in the prophesy will take place in the sequel. So it might be a while before the truth is unraveled completely. But I'd like to see the interpretations of my readers. Please feel free to share what you think.

**lizardmomma : **Thanks. I'm planning (hoping) to be more active from now on. So you might see updates a little more frequently.

**Miss Dunkelbunt :** I'm glad you liked it. I hope you like this chapter too.

This is more of a filler chapter before the battle with Gideon truly begins. It is also the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

There were quite a few holes left in the original story and I have tried to fill them to the best of my ability. I must admit that the last time I watched the sixth season was more than two years ago and have written this chapter based solely on my memory. It is entirely possible that I may have made some mistakes with the details. In such a case I would greatly appreciate it if you guys point them out through reviews or private messages.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty Questions<strong>

Probably for the very first time in his life, Chris was frozen. Roland's body had crumpled on the floor, life quickly ebbing away from him. He knew he couldn't heal the elder and couldn't touch the arrow and pull it out either.

"It's …. OK. I know… you can't h… elp me. This was th… only way," Roland said gasping for air as the poisoned blood filled his lungs. Henry Sr. quickly dropped down to his knees and pulled the arrow out. Being a mortal, he was not afraid of getting infected or loosing his powers due to the poison. Paige was about to protest that this poison was never used on any mortal and its effects on non-magical beings were unknown. However, before she could utter a word, the arrow was out. Henry Sr. hissed as the business end of the arrow nicked his palm. Paige rushed towards her husband but he made sure she didn't come anywhere near the arrow. The wound was nothing more than a scratch and didn't even need healing. Henry's eyes seemed a little glassy but otherwise he was all right.

"Are you OK, dad?" Henry Jr. asked his father who simply nodded.

"No! I will not allow this. You must be recycled for your treachery and not rewarded for it. I will not let you escape your punishment that easily. Heal him now," Came an annoyed demand from behind. Every one turned around to see Odin and Kheel standing in the attic. The confusion on Chris's face was clear. Roland had sacrificed his life to save Wyatt. He was about to die a horrible and painful death. Chris wasn't sure what part of it was the 'reward' Odin was referring to. When any of the Halliwell white-lighters failed to move, Kheel proceeded to heal Roland. He wasn't certain how much of the motivation behind his actions was to save a fellow elder and what part of him simply wanted to keep Roland alive just to see him being disciplined for his act of rebellion.

"No…" Roland tried to protest but before anyone could react, Kheel's hands were glowing with golden hue. But it lasted only momentarily. Kheel shuddered as he felt his powers being stripped away by the poison. He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. He felt… Human.

"What's the meaning of this? Why isn't he healing?" Odin asked angrily. Kheel's eyes were filled with terror by now.

"The poison has stripped his powers. He's a mortal now," Henry Jr. provided helpfully. Odin's face was livid. His fury was so great that no word came out of his mouth for a few moments.

"You did this on purpose," the furious elder screeched. Electricity crackled around his fingers and the white-hot bolt of lightening leaped towards Junior's chest. The blond witch ducked down just in time to avoid being zapped. Odin didn't get another chance to attack. Chris raised his right hand and the crackling electricity around the elder's hands frizzled out.

"What did you do to me? You insolent little brat, we should never have allowed you or your brother to exist," Odin began yelling at Chris. The half elder was just as confused. He had raised his hand instinctively. He had no clear plan of action. The only thing on his mind was that he had to save his baby cousin, no, his baby brother, from this insane elder.

"That's right, its your power as the catalyst, you can reduce anyone's powers just like you can enhance them. That's the very definition of the Catalyst," Junior whispered from his place on the ground. Odin was trying to summon his elder bolts but the only result was a few sparks that frizzled out almost immediately. At the very moment, Roland gave a choked cough and all the Halliwells turned their attention to Wyatt's fallen savior.

"Don't… blame yourself. This… was… m… my des… tiny," Roland managed to say with his last breath. Almost immediately, his body dissolved into orbs and golden lights. To everyone's surprise, the orbs that were moving upwards towards the heaven, changed their direction and leaped towards Dan. The half demon, now just a mortal wearing a magical artifact, gasped as the orbs hit him in the chest and absorbed into his body.

"What just happened? It looked just like when Kevin got his powers," Phoebe exclaimed. At the very moment, Ari appeared in the attic.

"Could you please tell us what just happened?" Chris asked the angel of destiny very politely but the underlying frustration and impatience was evident.

"He made the traitor into an angel of destiny," Odin hissed venomously. Chris raised his eyebrows.

"It was always Roland's destiny to sacrifice his life to save the future king. He had been looking after you two since you were born. As a reward for his help, I made him an offer. I gave him a choice, to move on and earn eternal peace or to become an angel of destiny and continue helping me save the world. I'm glad to say he chose saving the world over his own eternal peace," Ari explained.

"So Roland is an angel of destiny now? Will we see him again?" Phoebe asked. She had always had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on the handsome elder, ever since she had first met him decades ago. She was glad that Roland wasn't gone for good. She mentally smiled as a thought crossed her brain; she still hadn't figured out what Roland wore, if anything, under those golden and white silk robes. Coop, who was brilliant in reading Phoebe's body language, rolled his eyes.

"Down girl," he whispered. Phoebe blushed furiously.

"There will be a period of adjustment for him. He will have to learn his new powers. But, yes, you will see him again," Ari explained.

"What about me?" Kheel said finally. He had been too shocked to speak after having lost his powers.

"You've fallen from grace. You're a mortal now. You will have a new identity as a human. A fresh start if you will. You will retain your memories as an elder. Think about the motivations behind your actions. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Spend what remains of your new mortal life doing good deeds and helping others, and you might get another chance at being an elder. Fail to do so and you will start the cycle of life all over again," Ari warned Kheel before sending him off to his new life as a human.

"Why can't I orb? What did you do to me?" Odin asked Chris accusingly.

"I merely stopped you from hurting my little brother. Trust me, you got off easy. If a single one of Junior's hair was out of place, you would have lived just long enough to regret it," Chris threatened the insane elder. Junior smiled and put a calming hand on Chris's shoulder.

"Christopher, would you be so kind to return Odin's powers?" Ari asked the half elder calmly. Chris raised his eyebrows as he glanced at the angel of destiny.

"Only if he promises not to come after my family again," Chris responded. Odin scowled at him and was about to say something counterproductive but Ari spoke again.

"He won't. I assure you of that," the scion of balance said warning Odin to be quiet with one raised finger. Chris considered this for a moment before raising his left hand. Odin could feel his powers being restored. Having lost his closest ally in the elder council, Odin was royally pissed but there was little he could do at the moment. He orbed away without another word.

"What's with the orbs that went into Dan?" Chris asked Ari. The angel of destiny smiled.

"Look at it as a right of passage for a new angel of destiny. As soon as one becomes an angel of destiny, the very first task they have to perform is to change the destiny of a worthy being such that it will have a profound impact on the world's destiny. The rank of the angel of destiny among us is decided by the magnitude of the impact of this first action. Dan's destiny is tied to yours. By changing his future, Roland has gained a significantly powerful position in our ranks. Before Roland's death, Dan's role in your destiny was a rather passive one, as he no longer had his demonic powers. Roland changed his destiny by giving him his elder powers," Ari explained.

"Please don't tell me that I'm an elder now," Dan said with hint of frustration in his voice. Ari chuckled.

"No. You just have the powers of one. Roland was pretty powerful elder, and now you are just as powerful," Ari said.

* * *

><p>Down in the underworld, Gideon was pacing restlessly in his cavern. The seer was watching him curiously.<p>

"Your plan failed," came a voice from behind. Gideon turned around to face the lady. His face was red with embarrassment. There was a slow and awful smile on her beautiful face.

"Yes. The elder, Roland, saved the boy," Gideon said uselessly. Obviously, the woman already knew what had happened.

"The scion of balance beat you again," she stated matter-of-factly. Gideon was getting irritated by this attitude.

"Is this conversation going anywhere?" he asked with a frown firmly in place. The lady chuckled.

"Depends on whether or not you are willing to put aside your pride and seek advice from your superiors," she said, still smiling. Gideon was offended by the remark. He was the source, after all, the ruler of all that is evil. But the lady was obviously referring to herself. She was powerful; there was no doubt in that. Whether or not she was superior to him was debatable. At the moment, however, she seemed to know some way of defeating the Halliwells that he didn't. Gideon was not vain like his predecessors. He was willing to take suggestions if it meant fall of the witches.

"What do you suggest? Summon Barbas?" he asked. The seer raised her eyebrows. A hint of surprise flickered over the lady's face too. Within a moment, her cool, composed mask was in place once again. Gideon was clever enough to notice the changing expression but didn't comment.

"The demon of fear has failed time and time again against the witches. They know well by now, how to defeat him. It is time to change tactics. I have other plans, if you're willing to listen," the lady said twirling her hair in her fingers.

* * *

><p>"Does it mean I don't need the amulet anymore?" Dan asked. He was not very thrilled about the idea of tapping into someone else's powers from the beginning. Even with his family's consent, it somehow felt like violation of their privacy. Carver had assured him that it was natural to feel that way and that given time; he'll learn to cope with it.<p>

"Do not be so hasty. Roland's powers are now yours. But you won't be able to use them until your body is ready to accept them. It is going to be a difficult process since your body is half demon and half human and your demon half will not readily accept elder powers," Ari explained.

"Because elder powers are good and I'm half evil," Dan said dejectedly. Ari shook his head. He seemed unsure as to how he could explain it to the half manticore. The angel of destiny turned to Chris, hoping the half elder had a good analogy from the mortal world to explain the situation. Chris moved near the half demon and put a reassuring hand on his shoulders.

"Powers, much like weapons, are not inherently good or evil; the people who use them are. I think it is also a misconception that demonic powers are seductive. The seduction comes from the fact that demons have no conscience and no sense of consequences. I think what Ari is saying is that there is a fundamental difference between how the demonic and elder powers function. Think of it as putting diesel fuel in the tank of a gasoline powered car. It will not work because of the fundamental differences between the diesel and gasoline powered engines. Your body has to change and adapt to accept the elder powers given to you. So, in the meanwhile, it is a good idea to keep the amulet," Chris explained. Ari smiled and nodded in agreement.

"But the amulet is powered by Wicca magic. If what you say is true, why does it work so readily?" Junior asked his doubt.

"The amulet is more like a tow-truck. It works; but it's not a long term solution," Chris answered. Junior accepted the answer with a shrug.

"Now, if you do not have any more questions…" Ari said but was interrupted by Piper.

"Do you know who Niles is?" Piper asked the angel of destiny suddenly. Piper had been foolish enough in the past not to recognize Chris. She was not going to make the same mistake again. If the boy were family, she would find out. Ari's face turned serious.

"This is neither the right time nor the place for this revelation. All I can tell you for now is that Niles is not your enemy. The key to his identity is in the prophecy. It is up to you to figure it out," The angel of destiny said before dissolving into golden lights. Junior was thoughtful for a moment.

"What?" Chris asked. The blond witch smiled.

"For the first time in some time, we don't have any pressing magical emergencies. Roland's passing is paining but he's literally in a better place and we'll see him soon enough. I think this is an excellent time for…" Chris cut off Junior's speech.

"No! That's a horrible idea. I'm out of here," the half elder said preparing to orb. Junior quickly grabbed his hand and prevented him from escaping.

"What are you two talking about?" Piper asked. Junior explained to her how he'd been trying to get Chris to talk about his newly unlocked memories and answer a few questions. And how Chris had been avoiding talking about the dark future citing all the recent magical mishaps. Piper agreed with her nephew that this was an excellent idea. This resulted into a full-blown argument with Chris on one side and his whole family on the other.

* * *

><p>"I'm not sure if it is such a good idea…" after about an hour of debating, Chris was still trying to protest but Piper wasn't willing to listen.<p>

"And don't you dare say 'Future Consequences', mister. I'm sick of hearing that term. The future you… Perry came from doesn't exist any more so there are no consequences," Piper warned Chris. Chris smiled tiredly, painfully reminding the sisters and Leo of the boy they had lost for more than two decades.

"Mom, some things are meant to be forgotten. It's better that way. Isn't it bad enough that I have to remember that horrid future? You don't need to know; you don't need to suffer," Chris said softly. Wyatt, who was remarkably calm by now, put his arm on his little brother's shoulders.

"May be it wasn't meant to be forgotten. May be we're supposed to learn from our mistakes. May be I'm supposed to learn something from it. I already know the worst part. How bad could it be?" Wyatt asked. Chris was about to protest but Junior interjected.

"How about this? We'll ask you twenty questions about the things we're most curious about. You don't have to give us any gory details. Just some details about you… I mean details about Perry that are rather puzzling for us. You, of course, reserve the right not to answer a particular question," Henry Jr. proposed a compromise. Chris nodded reluctantly.

"Alright, shoot. But remember, I will answer your question only if I feel it's appropriate and will not cause more damage to this timeline or our relationships," Chris warned. Everyone currently gathered in the attic, nodded in agreement. Leo was the one to ask the first question.

* * *

><p>"Why did you send me to Valhalla?" the ex-elder asked his youngest. Chris raised his eyebrows.<p>

"That's a loaded question… " Chris began to protest but was interrupted by his father.

"I always knew it was you. No one else had the means or the motive. I understand that you weren't too happy with me and wanted me out of the way. But I always wondered if there was more to it than that. I didn't trust you before I found out who you were and afterwards, our relationship was already so strained that I couldn't bring myself to ask you back then," Leo explained. Chris smiled and stared into space for a moment as if he was trying to recall something. Before speaking he reached inside his shirt and pulled out an amulet that he was wearing. Leo recognized it immediately as it was his gift to Chris for his thirteenth birthday. He had it made from leprechaun gold and then had it blessed by an elder, an angel of death and an angel of destiny. It was designed to protect the wearer from evil. Chris had never taken it off.

"The reason I sent you to Valhalla was three fold. Yes I wasn't exactly happy with you and wanted you out of my way so that I could set myself up, as the charmed one's white-lighter. But I also needed you to stick around for obvious reasons…" Chris said but was again interrupted.

"Why? From what I gather, you hated his guts…" Wyatt asked incredulously.

"How do you think I was born, Wy?" Chris asked bluntly. His comment was followed by a bunch of 'eww's from Wyatt, Junior, Reese, the twins and Prue. Piper rolled her eyes while Phoebe and Paige snickered. Leo was red with obvious discomfort.

"In the other future, Leo… Dad didn't become an elder till the time I was one. I didn't realize the elders would promote him earlier than expected. This was a disaster and I had to think fast. If he left for good, I wouldn't have been born. I wanted him to be suspicious enough to stick around. I thought I would be done with my task in a couple of weeks, may be a month and once I went back to the future, mom and dad would have had enough time to reconcile and make mini-me. Unfortunately, it took much longer than I had anticipated and I forgot about my own conception. Finally, I had to get help from aunt Phoebe and Paige to get mom and dad to… You know, make me?" Chris explained. Wyatt scrunched up his nose at the mental image it conjured but didn't say anything.

"What was the third reason?" Leo asked. Chris smiled and fingered the amulet around his neck once again.

"About a week before I left for the past, you gave me this amulet. Just about two days after that, you were ambushed by a bunch of demons. The pacifist nature was so ingrained in you that you couldn't fight them off. They killed you. Your stay at Valhalla gave you much needed combat training in case I failed. You were right about what you said up there on the bridge after the spider demon incident…" Chris was interrupted again, this time by Junior.

"The one where you beat the crap out of him?" Junior said teasingly. Chris rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't too fond of you but I didn't want you to die. When you gave me this amulet, you told me that you wanted to work things out with me. May be deep down I was hoping that I would be able to save 'us' too," Chris answered. Leo smiled as he realized that his son always loved him no matter what.

"Alright that's four questions. You have sixteen left," Chris announced.

"Hey! That's cheating. Follow-up questions don't count," Phoebe protested. Everyone except Chris vehemently agreed with her. After a few minutes of altercation, Chris finally gave up and Paige asked the second question.

* * *

><p>"How did you get the Valkyries to cooperate? I mean they are not exactly the kind to offer their services easily," Paige asked.<p>

"I had arrived in the past about the time Wyatt was born. The time frame when the magic vanished was crucial for me. Some time before I met you guys, I almost died in a surprise demon attack. One of the Valkyries named Mist, came to get me. I challenged her to a duel. I told her that if I managed to defeat her, she'd have to help me in my cause. If she defeated me, I'd go with her without protest. Valkyries are seasoned warriors and she never thought for a moment that I, a mere boy at death's door, could ever defeat her. She didn't count on my wiccan powers. Telekinesis being the only active power I had, I learned to use it in quite a few creative ways. Before she had a chance to attack, I used my powers and held her heart in a telekinetic hold. She realized that one false move on her part and I would squeeze her heart and kill her instantly. She admitted defeat and agreed to help me. I think she developed a bit of a crush on me after that," Chris explained.

"You said the time window when the magic ceased to exist was crucial to you, why? And it's a follow-up question. It doesn't count," Junior said narrowing his eyes. Chris smiled.

"I knew I was travelling to a time before I was born. I had to perform a ritual and cast a spell on myself to prevent loss of my powers. The spell would have work the best if the time portal opened during the magic-free timeframe. Alright, those are two questions you have eighteen left," Chris answered.

* * *

><p>"Did you really kill a Valkyrie to get her amulet? Leo wanted to take you to the elder council," Piper asked glaring at her husband. Leo squirmed a little. Chris closed his eyes for a long moment before nodding affirmative.<p>

"Valkyries are immortal beings. Upon death, their spirit returns to Valhalla and there they are reborn. But in a manner of speaking, yes, I killed two of them to get their amulets. I had half hoped that Leo would take me to the council and they would punish me. The other half knew that by killing two Valkyries, I was trying to save hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, including the elders themselves. But that didn't help me with the guilt. I also knew that even if Leo had taken me to the council, nothing would have happened. Ari was the one to send me back in time and he was watching my actions. If the elders had decided to recycle me or worse, send me back to the future, Ari would have interfered. I came from a very dark future where you had to do anything and everything to survive. I hope you guys don't judge me too harshly," Chris said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, peanut. I never meant to accuse you of anything. I have been fortunate enough not to be in such a difficult situation where I had to choose welfare of many by sacrificing a few. And I'll always be thankful for that," Piper said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>"Why did you lie about me dying in the Titan attack? Just to gain our trust? And no these aren't two questions," Paige asked her nephew. Chris chuckled.<p>

"I didn't lie. You see, while you're in past you're bound to that time. Which means, your memories of the future do not change or update themselves. This is necessary to avoid the introduction of a paradox. In the timeline where you did die, lets call it original timeline, I never got to know you…" Chris said but Paige interrupted him.

"Then what about you coming to me for money instead of Piper?" Paige asked remembering their conversation just before the spider demon had attacked.

"I'm getting to that. Till the time Bianca took me to the future, I didn't remember you being around while I was growing up. During my brief stay in the future, the new memories, where you did survive, caught up with me. I had changed the timeline by saving you. Lets call it the altered timeline. Now I could remember everything you did for me while I was growing up," Chris explained.

"If your memories were updated to fit the altered timeline when the Phoenix took you to future, how come you remember it now?" Junior asked refusing to address Bianca by her name. He never really liked the Phoenix and the fact that she had died trying to save Chris in an alternate timeline didn't make much difference.

"When I traveled back the first time, I cast a spell on myself. If I had failed, I was sure that mini-me would grow up and do the same for his Wyatt. But I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes every time. The only way to achieve that is to remember all the alternate timelines. I knew it was going to be risky and most likely painful and confusing to remember alternate timelines but I was desperate. It is because of that spell, I remember all three timelines, the original, the altered and the current timeline. Once I came back, I had the new memories where I used to sweet-talk you into giving me money to go to the movies," Chris said smiling at his aunt Paige.

* * *

><p>"You used to vanish for days at a stretch. Where did you go? When Excalibur was delivered to us, for example. We could have used your help you know?" Phoebe asked the next question.<p>

"Just before Excalibur was delivered, dad and I had stumbled through a portal and I almost ended being torn to pieces by a dinosaur. Dad never realized but when I fell off a cliff, I had broken three ribs. We didn't exactly like each other back then and I didn't want to ask him for a favor. In hindsight, I'd say I was being a stubborn idiot and should have swallowed my pride and asked him to heal me. But at the time, asking dad for help was more difficult for me than the pain in my chest. I ended up visiting Mist in Valhalla where she patched me up. But without magical healing, it took me a long time to recover. I spent that time doing research on the demons I was planning to hunt after I recovered," Chris explained. Leo's face darkened with guilt. He didn't know Chris was his son but he was an elder he was supposed to be the kind and helpful angel that looked after everyone. Instead he had let his hatred towards the boy cloud his vision.

"Dad, don't blame yourself. If I hadn't been such a stubborn little fool and asked for your help, I know you would have healed me no matter your grudge against me. Don't blame yourself. It was my fault. Besides, it gave me much needed time to research the manticores while I was out of commission," Chris said kindly.

* * *

><p>"That reminds me, did you really try to get me vanquished as a baby?" Dan asked disbelievingly.<p>

"Yes, I did. And I'm so sorry about it. I really am," the half elder answered in a regretful tone. Dan made a dramatic gesture of being stabbed through the heart. Chris rolled his eyes while everyone else chuckled.

"But that's because I didn't know you in that timeline. You see, I was the one who sent the sisters after the manticores. In the original timeline, I wasn't in the past trying to save Wyatt. Mom and the aunts were busy looking for life outside the Charmed legacy. They never even considered going after the manticores. As far as I remember, our paths never crossed. I hadn't seen anything about a half manticore in the book of shadows and you weren't in evil Wyatt's database either," Chris answered.

"Database?" Prue asked raising her eyebrows.

"Well, after evil Wyatt took over the underworld and the elder-land, he made every demon, witch, fairy and other magical beings carry some sort of identification documents. Anyone found without proper identification was immediately sent to one of his prisons where the detainees would be interrogated and scanned to establish their magical heritage. They maintained a computerized database. A few resistance members managed to hack into Wyatt's system to get info on our enemies. I never came across any information about you. We also carried out several rescue missions to free the unidentified magical beings from their prisons. You weren't there either. The simplest explanation was that your dad never managed to save you and, you never made it to adulthood," Chris said.

"But if he wasn't even there in the future, what would vanquishing him as a baby accomplish? I mean if he didn't cause Wyatt's turning and he wasn't actively helping Wyatt in the future, killing him wasn't going to change the future," Junior asked. Chris's face darkened.

"Because, there was another ominous possibility," He said sadly. Everyone was staring at him expectantly.

"What do you mean?" Reese prompted his cousin to elaborate.

"Time travel is complicated. Let me try and explain it as well as I can. Ever since I had arrived in the past, I had changed many things, some for good, others, not so much. I was afraid finding Dan was one of the later. Think of the timeline as a mighty river that always follows a path of least resistance. If you want to change the flow of the river, you must block the path by changing something big. Most of our petty actions are like dropping pebbles in this river. They don't change much. Saving Paige was equivalent to a landslide. Because Paige survived, the original timeline ceased to exist while the altered timeline came into existence. Unfortunately for me, the original and the altered timelines had one crucial thing in common," Chris said.

"I was still evil," Wyatt said sadly.

"Precisely! Gideon's death was another one of such monumental events, which ultimately caused the altered timeline to be replaced by the current timeline where you're good. When we came across baby Dan, I knew nothing about the altered timeline. I knew saving Paige must have changed the entire future. Not necessarily enough to save Wyatt but I was sure it was a colossal change. For example, originally I only had two cousins, Prue and Reese. Junior and the twins never existed," Chris said but was interrupted by Junior.

"Wow! It means I owe you my very existence. That's freaky," Junior exclaimed.

"What about us? Were we with you or Wyatt?" Prue asked fearing the answer. Like Phoebe and Wyatt, Prue was thought to be more susceptible to the lure of evil.

"That's not important," Chris said avoiding eye contact.

"Please, tell me. I have to know," Prue pleaded.

"Reese was killed in the same demon attack that killed mom. You two were close even in that timeline and it was a traumatic experience for you. Wyatt convinced you that the only way to save yourself from such pain was to join him," Chris answered reluctantly. Both Wyatt and Prue were feeling ashamed about something they hadn't even done. Chris and Reese comforted their respective older siblings while Phoebe wiped her eyes.

"Any way, in the original timeline, I only remembered fighting alone. After I got the new set of memories where Paige was alive, I remembered I had Junior to watch my back. In other words any memories I had of the original timeline without Paige were no longer valid. The fact that I didn't remember Dan didn't mean much. Unfortunately, the timeline only allows the least possible alterations and I had no control over the domino effect that followed. It is not humanly possible to calculate every possible change. Every time I came across some event that could potentially harm the future, I had to change it. As a human looking demon, you had a huge advantage. For all I knew, you could have been Wyatt's right hand man in the altered timeline that I knew nothing about," Chris elaborated.

"Was I? I mean Bianca took you back after the sisters saved dad and me. So you must have had the new memories," Dan asked.

"No you weren't," Chris answered briefly. But the half manticore was persistent.

"So I fought with you?" Dan asked. Chris shook his head. Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"Like I said, the timeline allows only slightest alterations. Junior, who existed in the altered timeline, had saved Reese. You had been a part of the family. You and Prue loved each other. You were vanquished at the age of eighteen. It was your death that prompted Prue to join Wyatt," Chris answered hesitantly.

"So, saving aunt Paige saved Reese but didn't change the fact that Dan died young and that Prue sided with me," Wyatt asked to clarify what he had understood so far. Chris nodded affirmative. Everyone was silent for several long moments.

"Alright. If you guys don't have any more questions, we better get busy," Chris broke the silence hoping that they really didn't have any more questions.

"Park it mister. We still have thirteen questions left," Phoebe warned her nephew. She had been the most curious one. In the past she had tried to get her tight-lipped nephew to divulge future information and had failed spectacularly. Now was her chance to sate her curiosity. But before she could ask anything, Patty interrupted.

* * *

><p>"By saving mom you caused the three of us to exist. Was there anyone who ceased to exist? I mean…" Patty asked but was immediately shushed by her big brother. She instantly regretted the question, as it seemed to cause a great deal of pain to Chris. His face scrunched up as if someone had stabbed him through the heart. Junior rubbed comforting circles on Chris's back in an attempt to calm him down.<p>

"You don't have to answer that," Junior said before turning to the family and declaring on Chris's behalf, "He's going to veto that one."

"Thanks," Chris said gratefully.

"I'm sorry Chrissie. I didn't mean to imply that you were responsible. May be whomever it was, they weren't meant to exist. I mean … I'm going to shut up now," Patty said after receiving a glare from everyone in the room, everyone except Chris that is. Piper and Leo suddenly realized what kind of burden their son was carrying. The knowledge that someone ceased to exist because of his actions must be eating him up from inside. The two felt utterly helpless, as they could do nothing to save their child from such pain.

* * *

><p>"After Wyatt conjured a dragon, the cleaners erased him. How come you didn't vanish when that happened? I mean, if Wyatt didn't exist, there would have been no reason for you to come back in time. Did you still remember that you had a brother?" Piper asked the next question.<p>

"Time travel is more complicated than that. The outcome of any future moment is the sum of all our decisions in the past, present and any future actions up to that moment. The cleaners erased Wyatt, yes, but his disappearance was never meant to be permanent. It had always happened exactly the way it did. I didn't disappear because you were always meant to get him back. That is also the reason why I didn't forget why I was there," Chris answered.

"So the cleaners erasing Wyatt had no impact on your future because it was not something you changed. It was always meant to happen that way. Does that mean you were still engaged to Bianca?" Leo asked the follow up question. Chris could clearly see the discomfort in Leo's expression. He wasn't really saying what he wanted to say. Chris watched his father in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him.

"Dad, I never cheated on Bianca. When you saw Natalie and me together, I was just trying to get a rise out of you. Natalie liked me and asked me out. I told her that I would get into trouble with you if we did go out. She couldn't believe you were such a hypocrite that you would not approve of another white-lighter having a relationship with his charge despite having married your own charge. We pretended as if something happened between us just to wind you up. It was her idea, really. You should have seen the expression on your face," Chris said chuckling. Leo's face was red with embarrassment.

* * *

><p>"How bad was I? Wyatt asked hesitantly. Chris watched him with pain filled eyes.<p>

"Wyatt…" Chris began to protest but was interrupted by Wyatt.

"Please, kitten. I need to know. How bad was I?" Wyatt asked insistently.

"Wy, you were never bad. You've always been the best big brother," Chris said soothingly.

"You know what I mean, the other me, the evil me. Did I kill for fun? Did I ever try to kill you?" Wyatt asked the last part dreading the answer.

"He didn't kill for fun. The evil Wyatt wasn't a blood thirsty or sadistic killer. All his actions were carefully calculated and had specific purposes. Each death served a purpose. For example, Junior and I always suspected that evil Wyatt knew that Dan and Prue wouldn't join him willingly and that's why he arranged for Dan to be vanquished. He then used Prue's grief to convince her to join him. Of course that was just a speculation. We didn't have any proof. If we did, we would have used it to get Prue back on our side. He didn't kill anyone without a reason," Chris answered.

"I hurt you didn't I? Did I ever try to kill you?" Wyatt asked again, feeling ashamed of himself.

"Wy, you're not him. How many times do I have to tell you this? You would never hurt me. He did, on occasions, but I'm reasonably sure that he wasn't trying to kill me. If he were, I wouldn't have survived as long as I did. I would have been dead long before I had the chance to go back in time. I think he did what he did to convince his demonic followers that he was a tough leader and that anyone who rebelled against him, friend, foe or family, would have to suffer the consequences," Chris explained.

"How can you be sure that I wasn't planning to kill you?" Wyatt asked.

"Wy, evil or not, you're a formidable witch. If he was determined to kill me, I didn't stand a chance. But I know he loved me. You could say I was his Achilles heel. I think he treated me harshly because he was trying to convince his demons otherwise. He had strict orders to arrest me but not to kill me. He claimed that he wanted to finish me off himself. Over the years, He had several chances but he didn't kill me. He could control his minions and his enemies thought of me as his enemy and consequently their friend. If he had shown a soft corner towards me, it would have, more or less, painted a bull's eye on my chest. His enemies would have tried to use me as leverage and He wouldn't have tolerated it. In a way he was actually protecting me by treating me harshly. This apparent inconsistency in his behavior finally convinced me that he still loved me and any being that is capable of love cannot be irredeemably evil. I remembered him being a reserved yet caring big brother and decided to do everything in my power to get my brother back," Chris said.

* * *

><p>"If you remembered him being a caring big brother, how did you know that whatever went wrong happened before you were born? I mean what made you decide to come back so far in the past?" Reese asked the next question.<p>

"Wyatt, in the original timeline, was bit of an introvert. He never showed any real compassion to anyone. Well, maybe anyone except me that is. We were close, not as close as we are in this timeline but close enough for me to want to save him. The more I thought about it, more I came to realize that he wasn't inherently evil and soulless like demons. He was fascinated by the Avatar philosophy of utopia. He systematically took over the world claiming he wanted to put an end to the supposedly foolish notions of good v/s evil. I slowly came to realize that someone must have turned him, corrupted him and made him into a tyrant. I began researching our past and realized that there was no unique incident that changed him. I studied mom's journals and the entries…" Chris said but was interrupted by Piper.

"You read my journals? They're private!" She exclaimed disbelievingly.

"Mom. It was your idea. You had been dead for a few years and once evil Wyatt took over the elder land and executed all the elders, all except dad, there was no one 'up there' to stop you whenever I summoned you, your other self. When I told her about my theory that Wy wasn't born evil and that someone had turned him, she suggested going through the journals to narrow down the time period when it happened. The text was magically hidden and she gave me a password so that I was able to read it," Chris clarified. Piper seemed satisfied by that answer.

"After studying mom's memoirs, I realized something. Wyatt had been a happy and playful child before I was born. However, the entries around the time of my birth were incomplete. There were holes in mom's memories large enough to drive an eighteen-wheeler through it. I knew that Wyatt had been kidnapped at the time and that Gideon had managed to bring him back. At the time, of course, we had no idea that Gideon was the kidnapper in the first place. Unfortunately for me, Gideon wasn't around for me to ask him. He was, in fact, the very first elder executed by Wyatt. In hindsight, I should have realized something was fishy about the guy considering the sadistic manner in which the evil Wyatt executed him. Now that I think about it, his was the only death evil Wyatt seemed to have enjoyed watching. Our theory was that some demon had tried to hurt Wyatt or may be turning him. Of course, Mom and aunt Phoebe would have hunted him down like a dog had they known about it. So we believed the perpetrator used magic to alter their memories in order to cover up his tracks. Gideon fit the bill perfectly but since mom's journals didn't have anything even remotely implicating him, Gideon had made sure of that, I never considered him among the suspects," Chris elaborated.

* * *

><p>"After the spider demon incident, you told me that I neglected you and that's why you hated me. But I always found it hard to accept that parental neglect would be enough to instill such hatred for me in your heart. Was there another reason? Leo asked already fearing the answer. Before the Titan incident, Leo would have never imagined himself as a violent person. He was a pacifist white-lighter. But he wasn't sure anymore. He had attacked Chris on more than one occasions and Chris didn't seem all that surprised when he did. Was his younger son used to being beaten by his father? Over the years, Leo had expressed these concerns to his wife who had tried her best to convince him that he was being ridiculous but Leo always wondered. Now was his chance to get to know himself better.<p>

"Please, son, I need to know. This question has haunted me for decades. Just tell me," Leo pleaded after realizing that Chris was reluctant to answer. Chris was silent for a few moments before he spoke.

"It wasn't just the neglect it was the apparent lack of trust and courage to face your mistakes. I would be the first one to admit that I had issues with my lack of firepower. Still do to some extent. I was the first one to notice the changes in evil Wyatt's behavior after mom's death. His corruption was a slow process but mom's passing was the last straw before the back of the proverbial camel broke. When I told the other Leo about Wyatt, he brushed it off as sibling rivalry. He thought that I was jealous of Wyatt and that I was trying to discredit him by accusing him of being evil. I tried to warn him many times but he didn't trust me. Even years later, when he could no longer deny that Wyatt had turned, he never had the courage to admit it to my face that he had made a mistake by not believing me. What I felt for you wasn't hatred. I could never bring myself to hate you but I was definitely angry with you. A couple of days before I left for the past he gave me this very amulet and asked for forgiveness. But by the time I no longer cared," Chris said sadly.

"So I never hit you, right?" Leo asked to makes sure.

"What? No! Why would you even think that? Is that what you have been thinking all this time?" Chris asked disbelievingly.

"It's just that I attacked you several times while you were in the past and you didn't seem all that surprised. After I came to know that you were my son, I began thinking that you weren't surprised because you were used to being hit by your looser of a father," Leo said sadly.

"Dad, I wasn't surprised because I had intentionally provoked you. I kept pushing your buttons because I needed you to be suspicious and stick around. It's true that you weren't winning any 'dad of the year' awards but you never raised a hand on me. Not that I ever needed corporal punishment. I've always been a good boy, in either timelines," Chris preened a little on the last sentence. His expression brought a smile to Leo's face. A huge weight had been lifted from his chest.

* * *

><p>"If you were the one who caused Leo to become an elder prematurely, it would have made you half elder immediately. Or at least once you came back from the future after the whole Bianca fiasco. But I never saw you use any elder powers other than orbing. Why's that? I mean some events might have turned out differently if you had used all your powers. Your elder bolts would have been handy against Gideon or even the witch wars demons. Why didn't you use them? By that time, we all knew your identity. So there was no reason to hide your powers from us," Paige asked the next question.<p>

"That's because I couldn't use them and it was extremely frustrating in the beginning. Our powers are tied to our body at the moment of our conception…." Chris said but was interrupted by Phoebe.

"I thought they were tied to our emotions," she inquired.

"They are governed by our emotions; but tied to our bodies. Since I was not conceived, my powers were not tied to my body. When I first arrived in the past, I knew I couldn't afford to loose my powers because of it. So before I left the future for the first time, I performed a ritual that bound my powers to my body, that body. Like I said before, the ritual required me to come back during the time with no magic. Unfortunately, it also meant that those were the only powers I would have access to as long as that body existed. If I had returned from the past safely, I still would have had those and only those powers. So after I would have merged with mini-me, he would have lost the elder powers despite being born a half elder in the changed timeline. I didn't really care as long as I had my brother safe. But, after Gideon stabbed me, my old body was destroyed and with it, the spell. As a result I, or rather mini-me, developed half elder powers and didn't loose them," Chris explained.

"And yes, you have only eight questions left. So make them count," Chris warned, as Phoebe was about to ask something.

* * *

><p>"What happened when Bianca took you back to the future? When you returned, you just said that she wouldn't be a threat anymore and we took it from your expression that she had died but we never knew what happened to her," Phoebe asked. Even though she couldn't sense the grief from the past Chris as an empath due to the blocking potion, she was perceptive enough to sense how much it hurt him.<p>

"It's not important. What matters is that she helped me get back to the past. She truly regretted forcing me to return to the future and did everything in her power to make sure that my mission wasn't compromised. I owe her for that, despite what she did," Chris answered.

"I was the one to send her back, wasn't I? And then I killed her…" Wyatt began but was cut off midsentence by his little brother.

"It wasn't you. Wyatt, you really need to learn to disassociate yourself from the evil version of you. Otherwise you'll keep blaming yourself for something you would never dream of doing. You're a kind and gentle soul, Wy. It'll destroy you if you don't stop feeling guilty for no reason," Chris said. Wyatt reluctantly nodded.

"It's easier said than done," he whispered.

"Tell me about it. I have been struggling keeping the two sets of memories separate," Chris said avoiding eye contact with his big brother. Wyatt's eyes filled with horror. If he lost his baby brother because his face reminded Chris of his evil self, it would kill him. Chris sensed the turmoil in Wyatt's mind through their link.

"Don't worry, Wy. You're not going to loose me. Do you know why? It is because for every horrid memory I have from that timeline, I have a good memory from this time. Whenever I remember evil Wyatt throwing low energy balls at me, I also remember _my big brother_ stepping in the line of fire just to shield me. I remember being tied up half naked and tortured in evil Wyatt's dungeon but I also remember _my big brother_ taking care of me when I was sick, in either timelines. For every memory I have of the evil Wyatt killing someone I love, I have an equally powerful memory from this time where _my big brother_ risked his own life to protect the family. The only way to cope with this chaos is to compartmentalize. Isolate the two lives I have lived. I don't know what I'm supposed to learn from those memories, but there is one thing I have learned for sure. I have learned to appreciate the best big brother I have in this lifetime," Chris said looking at Wyatt with the most earnest expression. Wyatt got up from his place on the sofa and pulled his little brother in a tight hug. Piper silently wiped her tears. It was clear to Phoebe that Chris wasn't going to reveal what had happened during his brief stay in the future so she moved on to the next question.

* * *

><p>"Were any of us alive in that future? We know Piper hadn't made it but what about the rest of us?" Phoebe asked before anyone else had a chance to ask something else. She was dying to sate her curiosity. Chris smiled sadly and took a deep breath.<p>

"I had accidentally let it slip that mom had died on my fourteenth birthday when I was talking to grandpa. But I was careful not to reveal any more details. But, I was also sure you must have figured it out. If any of you three were alive, it would have made more sense for one of you to travel back in time. That way, your past selves would have recognized you at once and the mission 'save Wyatt' might have gone a lot smoothly. Unfortunately, for me, I was the last one standing. In the original timeline, where aunt Paige hadn't survived the Titan attack, you, aunt Phoebs, were the last sister remaining. You took me in after mom was taken from us. Leo… dad was never around and you took care of me and Wy for a year or so before Grandpa had to step in…" Chris said before Phoebe interrupted.

"Because I died…" she said understandingly. Chris nodded without making eye contact.

"How?" she asked.

"It wasn't demonic attack. It was an accident. I was just fifteen and didn't have a license to drive. I missed my bus to school. I could have… I should have just orbed but you insisted on driving me saying you loved spending time with me. You had lost Reese in the same attack that took mom. I guess you wanted to spend more time with what was left of our family. On the way to the school, some drunkard jumped a red light and slammed into your car from the driver side. I was not hurt beyond a few scrapes and bruises but you suffered brain injury. They couldn't save you," Chris said feeling survivor's guilt. Phoebe put a comforting arm around her nephew.

"By the time I decided to travel back in time, Prue had joined Wy and Junior and the twins, of course, didn't even exist. I was all alone. In the timeline where aunt Paige did survive, she was the one to take me in. I guess because I was closer to Junior than I was to Prue in that timeline. As I said before, Junior had saved Reese. The accident happened the same way just that you were driving Reese to school instead of me. It wasn't until my sixteenth birthday when aunt Paige became the last sister to fall when grandpa stepped in. Aunt Paige and Phoebe had my cousins to look after so grandpa had been there for me whenever aunts were held up. Ever since mom had gone, I grew closer to grandpa. It made sense for me to move in with him," Chris answered. Junior raised his hand like a schoolboy eager to ask a question in the classroom. Chris chuckled and gestured for him to ask his question.

* * *

><p>"Why did I not come back to the past with you? You know to help you and watch your back? Or did I die too?" Junior asked. If he were as close to Chris in that timeline as he was in this, he would have never let Chris jump into the time portal alone. Chris smiled remembered his last meeting with his little cousin before he travelled back in time.<p>

"No you were very much alive and fighting by my side. I made you swear that you wouldn't follow me. We had established a resistance against evil Wyatt's tyranny. I needed someone I trusted to stay back and take care of the helpless people, magical and mortal folk alike. It would have made my job in the past infinitely easier if I had you watching my back. But if I had failed, I needed you to stay back and continue the fight for good. You didn't like it one bit when I begged you to stay behind, but you also understood the need," Chris answered. Junior smiled.

"Alright, that's fifteen questions. Only five more to go," the half elder said.

* * *

><p>"Did you guys know me and Evan? Was I still Wyatt's boyfriend?" Carver asked the next question.<p>

"You weren't his boyfriend. I think evil Wyatt was attracted to you be cause you didn't show an ounce of fear towards him. The resistance kept an eye on evil Wyatt's activities. I was spying on him at the time when he asked you out on a date. You declined saying you would never date an evil overlord. Wyatt had declared it treasonous to criticize his policies. I thought he was going to vanquish you on the spot. But he didn't. You were arrested and tortured for days before we, the resistance, managed to rescue you. You fought on our side after that," Chris explained. Carver was satisfied with this answer. Noticing Wyatt's discomfort with this revelation, Carver put a reassuring arm around his boyfriend's waist.

* * *

><p>"When did you first realize that Wyatt was turning?" Leo asked the next question. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.<p>

"I think it was a slow process. And deep down, I guess I had known for a very long time. But I was in denial. I remember one incident when I had to face the facts about my brother. During a particularly nasty demon attack, he said that elders are unreliable friends while demons are reliable enemies. Then he added that he would prefer a demon open with their intensions to a backstabbing elder any day. After that he just stood by while an upper level demon killed an innocent. That was when I knew that something was very wrong," Chris answered without giving any gory details.

* * *

><p>"Did I kill any of our family?" Wyatt asked scared of the answer.<p>

"I'm going to veto that one. I'm not answering that question," Chris said simply. The determination in his voice kept from anyone from arguing.

"I think you just did," Wyatt said wiping unshed tears.

* * *

><p>"What spell did Merlin teach you?" Prue asked suddenly.<p>

"That has nothing to do with my unlocked memories or the dark future. So I'm not going to answer that question. But you just wasted one question. You guys have only one question left," Chris shot down Prue's attempts at arguing.

* * *

><p>"Can you at least explain this diary? We never managed to open it," Piper said handing Chris small leather bound diary with an elaborate clasp and lock that kept it closed.<p>

"It is the journal that explains all the steps I took towards saving Wyatt. It explains the situation in the dark future so that if I had failed; you guys could finish what I couldn't. You couldn't open it because the spell that keeps it closed is tied to my life force. It will remain close as long as I am alive. Even after Gideon stabbed me, I didn't technically die because my soul was merged with mini-me. I don't see a reason to keep this thing anymore. It has served its purpose," Chris said orbing the diary out of his mother's hands.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Orbed it to a volcano. More harm will come than good if its contents were revealed," Chris said. The sisters were disappointed but didn't say anything. For some reason Chris didn't understand, Wyatt glanced at him guiltily before looking away.

"Thanks for sharing this part of yourself with us," Piper said after a long silence. Chris smiled sadly and orbed away without another word. The Halliwells had much to ponder. The mystery of Christopher Perry Halliwell was far from unraveled. They had only scraped the surface with all these questions. But at least now they were one step closer to truly understanding one of their beloved.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Fourteenth chapter. <strong>

**The fact that Henry Sr. was nicked by the poisoned arrow is significant. The true extent of it will become clearer in subsequent chapters.**

**Kindly read and review.**


	16. The Vision Quest

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed and/or added me/this story to their favorites. This chapter delves deeper into few of Chris's unlocked memories. As the title suggests, Chris is about to confront these memories in a vision quest in order to improve his relationship with his family. This chapter also marks the beginning of the end for 'The Catalyst'. This story will probably have about two to three more chapters followed by a small epilog.

In this chapter, Junior is accompanying Chris in his vision quest. I do not know if the original concept of vision quest in the series allowed for such possibility. In this chapter, I assume that Charmed ones have figured out a way to send two people on the same quest. The main reason behind it was that I wanted to add some explanations that wouldn't have made sense without presence of a companion for Chris. And I really didn't want to make Chris talk to himself like a demented lunatic ;). The part where Junior is unable to interact with anyone but Chris is a little confusing, I know. Junior can only interact with Chris if he's not a part of the vision. As an example, in any visions about Chris's time travel, where Junior was not present, he can only talk to or touch Chris. On the other hand, in a vision from the dark future he's a part of, he can interact with any other vision characters. I hope the way I have introduced the concept makes sense. If I have left any discrepancies, kindly let me know through reviews or private messages.

**xxxDrSpencerReidxxx: **You're right. Chris isn't actually letting his family share his pain. That's his nature. However, this habit of suffering alone is taking its toll on his relationship with his beloved. In this chapter, he's forced to face some of the issues he has with this family before it destroys him. I hope you like this chapter too.

**ReCharmed:** I'm glad you liked it. I'll try my best to give Chris a little bit of love life. The problem is that whenever I try to write something romantic, it ends up sounding ridiculous and I eventually delete it.

**One guest reviewer:** Thank you for the kind words. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

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><p><strong>The Vision Quest<strong>

Ever since Chris had indulged his family with some answers about the dark future, he'd been a little bit distant from everyone. On occasions he had snapped at his parents and aunts. He was a little cold towards his big brother as well. Wyatt was worried that he was loosing his baby brother to the memories. His greatest fear was that Chris Won't be able to distinguish between his brother and the evil Wyatt. He had tried to get him to open up but had failed miserably. Today was no different. The family had gathered in the attic and they were trying to figure our Gideon's next move. The source had been quiet for past few days and that was never a good thing. As a last alternative, they had decided to scry for evil. But had come up with nothing.

"There's nothing on the radar. I give up," Phoebe said exasperated.

"There's a surprise," Chris muttered. Junior was the only one who had heard. He glanced at the half elder questioningly but didn't get any response.

"May be we could try talking to the elders. They might know something," Leo suggested. This earned a snort from Chris.

"Right. Because they've been so forthcoming with information so far, we might have better luck with…" Chris said but unfortunately Leo didn't hear him and continued talking.

"Kevin and Sandra are still on our side," He finished.

"Why do I even bother?" Chris said before orbing off.

"What's wrong with him?" Leo asked.

"He made a comment and you didn't pay attention," Junior provided helpfully. Leo's face darkened with sudden realization. Chris, the other Chris was used to being ignored by his father.

"I guess his memories from the other future are messing with his mind. There must be something we can do to help," Reese said looking at his mother.

"May be there is. Do you remember Leo was acting all weird when the Avatars were messing with his mind? The vision quest helped him. May be we can arrange one for Chris too. May be it will help him deal with the painful memories," Phoebe suggested.

"I don't know about that. The Avatars interfered with the vision quest and what they showed me prompted me to join them. It doesn't always work the way we want it to," Leo was apprehensive. The last thing he wanted was to have his son hating him because of something he saw during his vision quest.

"I don't know. It sounds like the only viable option. I mean he's been grouchier than usual and snaps with the least provocation. We need to do something before it escalates any further," Paige said, worried.

"But what if something goes wrong?" Wyatt was with his father. Of course, he wanted his brother back to his normal sarcastic yet loving and understanding self but a vision quest seemed to be too much of a gamble.

"Chris is not going on any vision quest," Piper declared.

"Chris can speak for himself," came a sharp voice from behind. Piper turned around to face her son.

"Christopher Perry Halliwell. Watch your tone…" She said in a stern voice.

"Or what? You're going to throw me out of the house? Wouldn't be for the first time," He said in a cold voice. Piper looked like she'd been hit in the face. Chris's demeanor changed suddenly.

"I'm so sorry mom. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. But I've been doing it a lot lately. I can see that I'm hurting you guys. And if this vision quest helps me get my act together, I want to do it," he said confidently. Piper knew he was right. Reluctantly, she agreed.

"So when do we do it?" Chris asked.

"How about day after tomorrow? It's your twenty-third birthday. The day is like a three way junction between your two pasts and the future. The vision quest has the best chance of working if we do it on your birthday," Phoebe reasoned. Piper gave a choked sob as she remembered precisely why Perry's memories ended that day.

* * *

><p>It was Chris's birthday and past two days had been fairly uneventful. The family had gathered in the attic once again. Chris was comfortably lying down on the pile of rugs and pillows. Piper was sitting beside her son who was ready to drink the potion made by his aunt Phoebe.<p>

"I'm going in with you," Wyatt declared suddenly. Everyone including Chris turned to Wyatt in disbelief. The twice blessed dropped a few more rugs and pillows besides his brother and made himself comfortable.

"No. You're not," Chris said firmly. Wyatt was about to argue but Chris interrupted.

"No. Wy. I'm going to face my old memories. They are going to be painful for me. But they don't have to be for you. I know how much it will hurt you to see what I already know. I can't let you put yourself through it if I can help it," the half elder said gently.

"But it's not safe. You need someone to watch your back," Wyatt argued.

"I said NO!" Chris exclaimed.

"I understand why you don't want Wy going with you …" Junior interjected before Chris could say something unkind, but Wyatt cut him off.

"Well. I don't understand," the twice blessed huffed.

"Think about it Wy. He's going to confront his memories from the dark future; the future where you were evil. Why would he want to keep you from seeing it?" Junior asked patiently. Wyatt's face fell.

"He's my little brother. He shouldn't be protecting me," he whispered.

"But Wyatt's right. You need someone to watch your back. You know the dark future is a dangerous place…" Junior began making his case. It was Chris's turn to interrupt.

"I'm not actually going to that future, Odie. It's all in my head," Chris said.

"But you will be locked in your head till your quest is complete. It's not a simulation where you can just press the abort button and get out. And any damage you take during your vision is inflicted on your body in reality," Junior pointed out earnestly.

"He's right. It sounds safer to have two instead of one," Piper said. Chris could see that he was not going to win this argument any time soon and reluctantly agreed to let Junior in his mind. Wyatt was disappointed but he also understood why Chris had forbidden him from entering his mind. Ever since Chris had gotten his memories back, he'd been more careful not to let any emotions cross their bond. It was necessary to maintain their relationship.

"Be careful," Paige cautioned her son, as he lay down besides Chris. They both drank the potion and held hands as the charmed ones cast a spell to send Chris and Junior both to Chris's vision quest.

* * *

><p>Chris and Junior were standing in the manor, being confronted by younger charmed ones. Piper was yelling at Chris and completely ignored Junior, as if he wasn't even there.<p>

"I don't think they can see or hear me," Junior observed. But Chris wasn't paying attention to his little cousin either.

"I'm going to get my son back. And when I do, I don't want to see you anymore," A younger Piper uttered those venomous words. She was staring directly at Chris as if she wanted to bite his head off. Hearing those cruel words once again, something inside Chris broke.

"Are you kidding me? You're throwing _me_ out? Only Wyatt matters, isn't that what you said? Tell me something; if I'm gone, who's going to save your precious first born? Who else is foolish enough to risk his life and sanity to protect your golden boy? For past six months, you've been treating me like I'm the plague or something. Leo cannot stand me but there is little surprise in that. But you?" Chris paused to take a breath. Junior moved closer to put a comforting arm on Chris's shoulder but paused for a moment. Comprehension dawned on his face as Chris prepared to begin his tirade once again. Chris had to do this alone.

"You know, when I first showed my face at the manor, I was afraid that you would recognize me in an instant and my mission will become complicated. They always said Wyatt looks like Leo and I look like you. Grandpa and Grandma Patty had warned me before I left for the past that you, if no one else, would recognize me. They said a mother's instinct would tell you. I was half relieved and half disappointed when you didn't. I told my self that it was for the best that you didn't know. But can you imagine how I felt when my own mother would probably treat a stray dog better than she treats me? I am beginning to feel that you never really loved me. What you felt was obligation. You showed affection because you were supposed to. Leo was at least honest with his feelings. He had always treated me like an unplanned mistake but your deception was perfect. You made me believe that you loved me," Chris paused again. His eyes were welling with unsheathe tears. Piper and the sisters were staring at him in stunned silence. Junior wanted to comfort him but didn't want to interrupt. Chris had to vent all his bottled up anger if he was to save his relationship with his family.

"I don't even know why I bother. Why do I care what Wyatt does? I know for a fact that he loves me. If I stop opposing him, he'll leave me alone. Do you know how easier my life would be if I could just mute my nagging conscience? But instead I'm here, being treated like crap by my own family and trying to save my brother who doesn't want to be saved," Chris's rant came to an abrupt halt as his eyes met with those of his mothers. Did she have tears in her eyes? Chris's eyes widened with horror. Had he just blurted out details of the future, details that should die with him, to his family in the past? For a moment he forgot that he was in a vision quest and stepped back. His mind was racing mile a minute, trying to think of ways to undo the damage he had done in a fit of rage.

"Do you feel better?" Piper said, stepping closer and holding his face in her hands. Chris was baffled for a moment before he remembered where he was. He felt Junior's presence behind him as well. He nodded affirmative.

"Good. You have to know that I love you, right? Please, don't ever doubt my love for you. In the past, I was young and inexperienced. I am ashamed to admit that I treated you like a punching bag to vent all my frustration with the situation with Leo and the elders. I was really angry with Leo for leaving me and I took it out on you. I blamed you for his departure and never stopped to consider that Leo made the choice to accept being an elder. He could have, he should have refused. But he didn't. And I was too much of a coward to face my marital problems. So I took the easier way out, I blamed it on you. I didn't know you were family and what kind of sacrifices you were making to protect all of us. Some Charmed one I am, I strive to protect innocents and strangers but failed to protect my own child. I'm not making excuses for my past behavior, Chris. I'll always regret the way I treated you in the past as long as I live. I'll never be able to forgive myself for not recognizing my own flesh and blood. But I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me," Vision Piper said hugging her son. Chris returned the hug and smiled.

"Of course I forgive you mom. I love you," He said softly.

"I'm so proud of you my brave boy!" Piper said kissing Chris's forehead. Chris smiled and hugged her one last time before she vanished. Chris and Junior were standing in an empty manor.

"I guess this is the purpose of your vision quest. You have issues with our family from the past and the dark future. You cannot talk to the real family without hurting them in the process. This is your chance to vent and/or get explanations for their actions. This is your chance to get closure," Junior observed. Chris nodded affirmative.

"I just have one question. Aunt Piper had known who you were for nine months before, you know…" Junior left the sentence unfinished, unwilling to talk about his brother's death. Chris knew exactly what he meant to ask.

"We never got to talk about it. I spent considerable amount of time after that trying to avoid her. I was afraid to loose her again when I had to return to the future. I'm guessing she didn't want to face those past few months either. So it was an unspoken agreement between us, not to talk about the past few months. We pretended like all the hurtful things that had been said in last months had never happened," Chris answered.

"Chris, you know very well that a prolonged stay in denial-land, especially in our family is not a good idea," Junior said.

"I had bigger problems. We were nowhere close to finding who turned Wyatt. So you can imagine why I was reluctant to reopen those wounds," Chris answered shortly.

"Wounds cannot be reopened if they were never closed in the first place," Junior said looking Chris in the eye. Chris didn't respond. The scene changed before their eyes. Now, they were still in the manor but standing in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Chris suddenly realized that something was wrong with his body. He suddenly felt a little weaker, slimmer and… shorter? He glanced down at himself and turned to Junior; who was staring at him in astonishment.<p>

"I'm a adolescent!" Chris exclaimed. The surprise on his face was quickly replaced by horror. He was about fourteen years old and he knew exactly which memory he was going to confront next. The commotion from the conservatory confirmed his suspicion.

"If you think I'm going through this nightmare again…" Chris began yelling at the ceiling, cursing the elders, angels of destinies or anyone who was responsible for choosing this particular memory for his vision quest. A loud crash from the conservatory cut his rant in the middle. Junior was already in the conservatory but unfortunately couldn't interfere. He was a visitor in Chris's mind and the only person he seemed to be able to communicate or interact in any manner was Chris himself.

"Mom!" A choked scream escaped Chris's throat as he rushed into the fray of battle. Piper was busy vanquishing the intruders, one with each hand.

"Chris, go to the attic and call your aunts," she was trying to keep Chris away from the danger. At that very moment, a sixteen-year-old Wyatt came barreling down the stairs.

"Take your brother with you," she added. There was no way Chris and Wyatt were going to leave her to fight alone. Wyatt let out a huge burst of energy and concentrated it on a large group of demons. Piper quickly ducked and took shield behind a couch in order to avoid a fireball. At the very moment, another wave of demons struck. About a dozen demons shimmered in. They looked a lot like Kazi demons, all muscle and no brain. Except their skin was deathly pale unlike the usual Kazi demons. Wyatt lashed out once again. To his utter surprise, the demons were unharmed. Wyatt scowled and began throwing high-energy balls their way. But the demons were unaffected. Something was very wrong with this picture. Lowlifes like these demons weren't supposed to be immune to the powers of the mighty twice blessed.

"They're Kai demons, immune to good magic," younger Chris and Junior shouted at the same time. Of course, Wyatt and Piper didn't hear Junior but they heard Chris and were looking at the half elder in confusion. Without making any attempt to explain further, Chris grabbed a splintered leg of a chair nearby and jumped. With all the force he could muster, he thrust the pointed broken end of the leg, in a nearby demon's chest. The creature went up in flames immediately.

"The only way to vanquish them is to rupture their black heart," Chris explained. Wyatt immediately summoned Excalibur. Piper glanced at her first-born disapprovingly. Wyatt was still too young and wasn't allowed to use the sword. Her attention was diverted as Chris grabbed her by shoulders and pulled her out of the way of a stray fireball. Wyatt was systematically vanquishing the intruders with is sword.

"Mom, please stay down," he pleaded and jumped back into the battle. He had orbed an atheme into his hand and was making short work of the Kai demons. Of course, Piper was not about to hide while her teenage sons fought demons. She was frantically searching for a suitable weapon.

"Wy! Watch out!" Chris yelled but it was too late. One of the Kai demons had thrown a fireball. Wyatt dodged it successfully but in the process he lost his balance and hit his head on a corner of a table. The twice blessed was knocked unconscious. Junior gave a grunt of frustration. He was here to help Chris but he didn't count on being unable to interfere. Chris rushed towards his fallen big brother but being unable to heal yet, He couldn't do much. Piper had found another atheme and quickly dispatched two of the three remaining demons. The brothers had vanquished the rest.

"Chris! Behind you!" Junior yelled. The only demon remaining in the room was standing behind Chris and was about to hit him with a fireball. Piper had seen him and she threw the atheme towards the demon that was about to hurt her son. Chris heard Junior's warning and quickly dodged the attack. The demon, following Chris's movements, moved ever so slightly and the atheme thrown by Piper embedded itself in the demon's shoulder instead of his chest. Before Chris could react, the demon had pulled out the atheme from his shoulder and had thrown it back to Piper. The eldest Charmed one didn't stand a chance. The atheme plunged in her stomach with great force and the Halliwell matriarch collapsed.

"Mom! No!" Chris screamed and lunged towards her. Junior, who was watching the demon's every move, jumped towards his big cousin. He tackled Chris and pushed him out of the way of a speeding fireball. Chris quickly gathered himself and threw his own atheme. The last demon was vanquished instantly.

"Mom! Please, no. Please don't leave me," Chris's voice was broken. He had rushed towards his mother and was holding her limp form in his arms.

"It's not… your… fault. Don't… blame yourself… Never blame yourself… I love you… Peanut," Piper managed to speak as life quickly ebbed away from her. Chris was weeping silently, frantically trying to heal his mother.

"No! Mom, please stay with me. I'm awake this time. I can heal you. Please just stay with me," He kept repeating.

"Come near," Piper whispered. Chris complied. Using her last trace of strength, she planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Please… Look after… your… brother. You're all… he has now," she whispered. Chris nodded frantically.

"You know I'll be always on his side, mom," Chris promised. 'I love you', Piper mouthed one last time before she was gone. Chris sensed his cousin kneeling beside him. Junior pulled him into a fierce hug and Chris broke down. He didn't know how long he was crying on his little cousin's shoulder. Chris was feeling surprisingly better now. The whole scene in the conservatory along with his unconscious brother and dead mother had vanished. Chris's body was back to his proper age.

"Thanks," Chris said to Junior as he stood up.

"I'm here for you," Junior said smiling softly. Chris nodded.

"I wonder what's next," Chris said, the dread hardly concealed in his voice.

"There is something I didn't understand. What was the point in confronting this particular memory? And How come I was able to interfere when I pushed you away from the fireball? And most importantly what did you mean when you said 'I'm awake this time'?" Junior asked curiously.

"I think the only one you can interact, while we're in my mind, is me. You wouldn't have been able to push Wyatt or mom out of harm's way. In the original memory, you weren't there, and the fireball hit me in the shoulder. I managed to vanquish the demon but lost consciousness soon afterwards. I only came around when aunt Paige dropped by unexpectedly. She took in the scene and healed Wyatt and me. Mom was already gone. At the back of my mind, I always blamed myself for being too slow to dodge the fireball and for being unable to heal. I always thought that if I hadn't been hit, I might have been able to help mom. Now I know better," Chris said bitterly.

"You need to accept the fact that what happened wasn't your fault. I guess the lesson to learn here is that there are few things in life that are simply beyond your control. You need to stop blaming yourself for something beyond your control," Junior said thoughtfully.

"Easier said than done. But I guess I needed to hear from her that she didn't blame me. In the original memory, I never got a chance to say goodbye. Deep down I knew that mom would never blame me for her death but I guess I needed to hear that from her. I suppose I needed the closure," Chris whispered. The two mentally prepared to face whatever came next as the scene began to shift again.

* * *

><p>"Chris's destiny might have been just to warn us about Wyatt and that's it," came Phoebe's voice from the attic. Chris and Junior were standing just outside the attic door. Junior raised his eyebrows incredulously. Chris was frozen in place. He remembered the feeling quite well. He'd been getting this floating sensation for a few hours by now. His body was becoming more and more transparent.<p>

"What's wrong?" Junior asked worriedly after taking in Chris's appearance.

"I was dangerously close to not being conceived. I was fading away, an angel of death was waiting for me and my aunts were about to give up on me," Chris said bitterly. Junior's eyes narrowed. He had heard the story about Chris forgetting about his conception date and almost not being born but he hadn't realized how serious the situation had become. He was about to admonish his big cousin when he heard his mother's voice.

"How can you even say that, Phoebe? Chris is family," Paige said angrily. While talking to Junior outside the attic door, Chris had missed his entry and the sisters were still talking. Chris wondered how the conversation would have gone if he hadn't entered the attic when he did. Would his aunt Phoebe really have given up on saving him? Would his aunt Paige have agreed with Phoebe or would she have fought for Chris? Now was his opportunity to find out.

"Do you think I want to think that way? But we have to face the facts. Chris has changed too much by travelling back. May be saving him is just beyond our power. And I'm so tired…" Phoebe said but silenced by an angry hiss from Paige.

"Family comes first, always. And Chris is family. We're his aunts. It's our job to protect him. How can you even think of giving up? If weariness is keeping you from trying harder, think about this. If we let Chris vanish, would our conscience ever let us rest knowing we didn't do everything in our power to help our nephew?" Paige said coldly. Phoebe was about to say something when Paige's eyes widened. Phoebe realized that Chris was standing behind her and that he had heard everything.

"You might not need to worry about that. If I'm never conceived, I'll never be born. Which means you'll never know that I ceased to exist. Your memories will be rewritten as the time shifts. You'll never know that you could've had a nephew. It'll be virtually painless. The downside of it is that your knowledge about Wyatt's turning will be lost as well… "Chris said in an unemotional voice. Junior, who was visible only to Chris, put a comforting hand on his shoulders.

"Chris, I'm sorry. I never meant it that way…" Phoebe began but Chris waved her off.

"It's alright. There are times when I think this might have been a blessing in disguise. If I cease to exist, it would save me a lot of pain, that's for sure," Chris said as he turned around. Junior's grip on his shoulders tightened but Chris walked out of the attic. Junior followed. Phoebe gave a choked sob.

"You're in a vision quest, remember? You have to face your demons. That's the whole point of this exercise. You have to go back up there and tell aunt Phoebe exactly how you feel," Junior reminded his cousin.

"I'm tired, Odie. Why do I have to be the one to remember two lifetimes. Why do I have to be the one to do this thankless job of saving the world? Can you imagine hearing your own aunt saying that the only purpose of your existence is to save your brother?" Chris, who was sitting on the stairs with his head in his knees, said tiredly.

"You had another purpose which is just as important," Junior said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Chris raised his eyebrows.

"Saving my mom and enabling the existence of the most handsome and awesome witch-lighter ever to walk the surface of the earth," Junior said seriously. Chris rolled his eyes and shoved Junior lightly. Both of them began laughing. Chris realized he was laughing so openly after a long time.

"Seriously, Chrissie. Think about all the lives you saved. Remember the beautiful world you created by sacrificing everything. The world where you didn't exist would not have been a nice place to live. And as for the unfairness of it all, it's the hand you've been dealt. I don't mean to sound cold and unsympathetic, but I want you to ask yourself this. Given a choice between saving the world and the peace of oblivion, what would you choose? Peaceful yet meaningless non-existence or painful existence that has a sense of purpose?" Junior asked. The choice was clear.

"You're right. And I'm glad I got to know you, baby brother," Chris said smiling and ruffling Junior's hair.

"Me too. Now lets go, and get this vision quest over with. You need to tell aunt Phoebe how you feel," Junior said.

"I don't think that's necessary. I guess I just needed to speak my mind to someone objective and honest. There is nothing I need to say to Phoebe," Chris said confidently.

"If that's true, then why're we still here?" Junior asked raising one eyebrow. Chris didn't answer.

"Come on! It'll be OK. I'm here with you," Junior said with a smile and offered a hand to Chris. Chris made a big show to emphasize how much inconvenience it was causing him and got up. Junior rolled his eyes.

"I can't explain it to you. You won't understand," Phoebe was telling her little sister when Chris and Junior reentered the attic.

"Then explain it to me, Phoebe. Tell me, why were you more eager to help some Jeanie half way across the world than helping your nephew. You were willing to move heaven and earth when Paige bargained her soul but you couldn't care less if your nephew ceases to exist. I'd understand why Leo would hate me. I caused him a lot of problems ever since I came back. I'd even understand if mom despises me. I broke up her marriage. But what did I ever do to you?" Chris said his eyes glistening with tears. He remembered _his_ aunt Phoebe who would gouge out her own eyes than see anything bad happen to him. He couldn't reconcile memories of this Phoebe with his aunt in the current timeline.

"Chris… I… I'm sorry, for the way I've been acting. To be completely honest with you, I didn't really believe that Wyatt was evil until I figured out who you are. After the encounter with the order, I knew that it was a possibility but I didn't really believe it. Didn't _want_ to believe it. Even after you confessed to me who you are, I've had a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that I made a mistake when I confronted you with the knowledge I gained from my vision quest. I spent days, thinking, if you were lying again, that you weren't really Wyatt's brother and had lied to gain my trust when I confronted you…" Phoebe swallowed her next words as she took in the rage on Chris's face.

"Are you f*****g kidding me? Phoebe, I risked everything…. EVERYTHING; to save Wyatt. Hell, I risked my own existence to protect him. Are you so blind that you don't see it? He's just a baby and I know him better than anyone else. I dare say I know him better than mom, dad or either of you ever did. Did you honestly think I don't know how to get around his defenses? And you are going to ignore all the evidence just so that your life becomes a bit simpler?" Chris paused for a moment. Junior moved closer to him offering silent support.

"You know what? I don't want to talk to you anymore. You're damaging the image I have of _my_ aunt with your selfish behavior. I don't think this vision quest is going the way it's supposed to," Chris said as he turned around, ready to leave. A hand on his arm stopped him. It was Phoebe and she was… smiling.

"Chris, I know why you're here. This is your vision quest after all and I represent but one facet of the image you have of your aunt Phoebe. You're here to understand me, are you not?" she asked. Chris nodded reluctantly.

"OK. Let's do this. Tell me about the aunt you knew growing up. And don't worry this is all going on in your mind. So there are no future consequences," Phoebe said soothingly, dragging him to aunt Perl's sofa.

"My aunt Phoebe is one of the most loving and caring people I know. Growing up, I always felt I was her favorite nephew. She insisted that my cousin's middle name be Christopher. Whenever she returned from a trip, she would bring gifts for everyone but she always had something extra for me. Wyatt and my cousins were always jealous of the special treatment I got," Chris said remembering his childhood in the new timeline. Phoebe smiled.

"And why do you think that is? Chris I was trying to make it up to you. I was trying to atone for the horrible way I'd acted in the past. You need to know that I'll always regret not trusting you when I should have and for even thinking of giving up on you. Can you forgive me?" She asked with tears in her eyes. Chris nodded mutely. Phoebe turned his head towards her and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"I love you. Always remember that," She said before she vanished and the vision ended.

* * *

><p>"Are you kidding me?" Junior exclaimed. Currently, the blond witch was wearing a pink, pointy, paper hat and its elastic strap was pulled over his chin. At least he was wearing a comfortable white linen shirt and his mom and cousins hadn't made him wear something just as ridiculous.<p>

"Be a sport Odie. After all this is your seventeenth birthday," said his father. Junior was surprised.

"Dad, not you too. Quit calling me Odie. Its bad enough the twins do," Junior whined. He had no idea why Chris's vision quest would bring him to face his seventeenth birthday. It was one of the most humiliating nights of his life.

"And how is it that you can see me?" he asked his father. Now it was his father's turn to be confused. He glanced at Chris for support. Chris looked like he had swallowed the world's largest pickle.

"What's the matter?" Junior asked worried. Chris avoided eye contact. But Junior noticed tears welling in his eyes. Suddenly it dawned on him. It wasn't his eighteenth birthday in the current timeline. It was from the dark future. His house still looked much the same but there were subtle differences he noticed when he really looked. Based on Chris's grim expression, something horrible was about to happen.

"What? ... Or should I ask who?" Junior asked dreading the answer. Chris finally turned back to him, a lone tear rolling down his face.

"They can see you because you were present in this memory. They are interacting with you in my memory. But we don't have time to think about it. Be ready. Incoming in ten seconds," he said simply and assumed a battle ready stance. Sure enough, one after other, about a dozen demons shimmered in.

"Dad!" Junior screeched in an unnatural voice. The next moment the seventeen year old had tackled his father to get him out of the way of a fireball. Chris was systematically vanquishing the intruders with potions. He always had those handy now a days. He also made opportune use of any sharp and/or blunt objects he could find by throwing them at their intended targets. Junior couldn't help but notice the resigned expression on the half elder's face.

"Please stay down," Junior pleaded with his dad before jumping in the middle of the battle. Junior and Chris must have vanquished about two-dozen demons but more kept coming. Soon enough, Paige orbed in and it looked as if the tide was turning.

"Henry stay down," Paige yelled at her husband. One of the demons threw him in a wall and Henry Sr. slipped into unconsciousness. Scared for his father's life, Junior rushed towards the crumpled form of the man. Taking advantage of his distraction, one of the brute demons hit his right leg with a large hammer. A sickening crack followed by Junior's agonized scream told Chris that the blow had shattered his femur. The battle was quickly getting out of hand. And suddenly, the demons stopped. Paige was confused but Chris knew what came next.

"You're wasting your time and energy. You have no prospect of winning this battle," came a cold voice from behind. Chris knew who it was but couldn't help but turn around to see. The dreaded sight of his evil brother shattered something inside him. Chris rose defiantly. Wyatt waved his left hand and all the demons shimmered away instantly. Paige's eyes widened in horror as she realized that Wyatt now commanded the demons that attacked them.

"Wyatt, why am I not surprised to see you leading these lowlifes. I wish father could have been here to see his son's true face," he hissed. Wyatt simply chuckled.

"Do you really think I'm afraid of him? Or I even care what he thinks of me? I don't need him. Come to think of it, I don't need you either. The only reason I'm here is to give you one chance to join me. I'm the only one who can save you from backstabbing elders and this entire nonsense they keep preaching about good and evil. I'm here to give you one chance to see the light. Understand that power is everything," Wyatt said with half lidded eyes.

"Stay away from him," Paige hissed at her eldest nephew. When he failed to respond to her in any way, she charged at him. With a careless wave of his hand, Wyatt sent Paige flying back into a large mirror that was already shattered during the battle. One of the larger and sharper pieces impaled her through the heart. Wyatt thought she had been hiding a weapon behind her. As it turned out, she only had crystals. She meant to imprison him not kill him.

'Oh well,' Wyatt thought not really caring. Junior, with his shattered femur, crawled toward his mother. His leg was killing him but the thought of loosing his mother was overwhelming.

"You killed her," he said sobbing uncontrollably. In actual memory, Chris had lashed out at his brother ending in a short duel. Wyatt had knocked him unconscious and left, disappointed. But Chris remembered this was a vision quest and he was here to get some answers.

"Why?" he asked his brother in a broken voice. Wyatt watched him curiously. He was clearly expecting his little brother to attack in an instant. But Chris just stood there, broken and vulnerable. So Wyatt decided to indulge him.

"Her fate is regrettable. I never meant to kill her, really. But I had to get you away from her influence. She was poisoning your mind against me. On second thought, I guess it's not really regrettable. I think it worked out for the best," Wyatt said with a careless shrug and turned away from his little brother and sobbing cousin. Wyatt observed that his uncle Henry was still unconscious but alive. Of course he never saw him as any threat anyway. There was no reason to waste a fireball on a pathetic mortal.

"Trust me. You're better off without her," Wyatt said, now facing fully away from his brother as if he knew Chris didn't have it in him to attack his brother. This comment pushed Chris over the edge. He jumped in an instant and tackled Wyatt. Although the twice blessed was considerably larger and more muscular than his little brother, he was distracted, and Chris attacked him with a ferocity that would have reminded anyone of his dead mother. Chris didn't realize that Wyatt was neither fighting back nor was he trying to stop him.

Chris didn't even realize when the brutal punches he was dealing had stopped. He was now clutching his brother's shirt and sobbing uncontrollably, repeating one word again and again, Why? Why? Why?

"Chris," Junior said softly as he put a comforting hand on his cousin's shoulder. Chris came to his senses suddenly. He turned to face Junior in confusion and irritation. His vision was blurred with tears but he could make out that Junior was smiling reassuringly. There was no sign of injury to his leg.

"It's over," he said simply. Chris wiped his eyes and turned to Wyatt. To his surprise, it wasn't evil Wyatt; it was _his_ Wyatt. His loving big brother was currently on the floor. His shirt was torn in many places. He was sporting a swollen eye, two broken teeth and innumerable bruises on his chest and throat. Chris was sure that he had broken at least three of Wyatt's ribs as well. Horrified at what he'd done, Chris scrambled away.

"It's alright, little bro. I deserved it after the way the 'despicable me' treated you. You needed to vent all this bottled up anger somehow. Do you remember how your relationship with dad improved drastically after you pummeled him? Same thing applies here. Just so you know, you could have vented your anger by beating up the real me too. You didn't need a vision quest for that," Wyatt said pulling his brother in a hug.

"How are you doing?" Chris asked Junior after Wyatt vanished and the vision ended. He had just witnessed his mother's death. It couldn't be easy for him. If Chris had any control over what memories he faced, he would never have chosen this particular memory, especially when Junior was with him. He knew all too well the pain of loosing one's mother. And Merlin knows Wyatt had given him plenty other reasons to lash out.

"I'm OK. At least I will be. I think," Junior said unsure. Chris pulled him in a hug. Junior wiped his tears.

"I'm sorry, Odie," he said. Junior simply nodded.

"I might need my own vision quest to deal with my newfound issues with Wyatt," Junior added as an afterthought.

* * *

><p>"Enough is enough, Christopher!" Leo was almost screaming in his younger son's face. For their next vision, Chris and Junior had appeared on the top of the golden gate bridge. Leo's face was livid and looking at his elder robes and his own rumpled appearance, Chris knew what memory he had to confront.<p>

"But dad, I'm not lying. It's true," Chris said. He knew it was useless to argue with his father. He knew exactly how the things were going to turn out. But for the sake of completing the quest, he decided to try.

"What are you guys talking about?" Junior asked. As he was not present in the original memory, vision Leo couldn't hear him and Chris didn't bother to respond.

"I've heard enough from you. Your jealousy has gone too far. How dare you say something so horrible about your own brother, the same brother who has protected you on countless occasions? I'm tired of your lies and manipulations. When I didn't believe you the last time, you went behind my back and poisoned your aunt Paige's mind against your brother. How many times have I told you that Wyatt is not evil? He's a son of a charmed one. He can never be evil," Leo was still screaming.

"The Charmed ones themselves were infected by evil on numerous occasions..." Chris's argument was cut short by Leo.

"Don't you dare go there. Those were different circumstances. Besides Wyatt is far more powerful. He's strong enough to fight the lure of evil," Leo was adamant.

"The ones with absolute power corrupt absolutely," Chris, mutted under his breath. Leo stepped closer and grabbed Chris by the arms.

"What did you say?" the elder hissed. Chris didn't bother to respond. Instead, he defiantly stared right back at his father.

"You know I have never lain a hand on you but you're trying my patience," Leo growled.

"Because hitting me would have meant acknowledging my presence," Chris was getting angry too. Leo's frustration was evident on his face. He closed his eyes and turned around.

"You think Wyatt is really evil? Why don't we call him here and see for ourselves?" Leo changed his tactic. He was certain that Chris was lying and that he would definitely refuse calling his brother. This way he'll catch Chris at his lie or at least alert Wyatt of his brother's machinations. In the real memory, that is precisely what had happened. Leo had called Wyatt who had lied through his teeth. Leo had left after admonishing Chris for falsely accusing his big brother and for defaming the Charmed legacy by merely existing. Wyatt had only smirked.

"We'll do that. But first, why don't I show you a few things you might have missed sitting on your high perch?" Chris said unexpectedly. It was his vision quest, after all. And he knew exactly what he had to do. Leo was staring at him in confusion. Clearly, he was expecting Chris to vehemently argue against calling Wyatt and not say something like this.

"Let's call him now. I don't need to see anything," Leo said flatly.

"Why? Are you afraid that you'll find out something you'd rather not? Denial-land is a nice place to live, I must agree," Chris was clearly baiting his father.

"I'm not afraid of anything. I said I don't need to see anything because there is nothing to see, except your lies," Leo said adamantly. Chris snorted.

"Well, this is my vision quest. So you don't exactly have a choice in the matter," he said before grabbing his father's hand and orbed them away.

* * *

><p>"Wyatt! I need you," Thomas Stanley, Wyatt's fifteen-year-old charge was screaming at the top of his lungs. He had the power of telepathy but it wasn't advanced enough to enable him to tap into someone else's powers. Of course, the brute demon that was attacking him right now, had found him alone at his home. There was no one else around for Thomas to tap into anyway.<p>

"Oh! Thank Merlin. Chris! You're here," Thomas said as soon as he saw the orbs coalesce into the form of Chris and Leo. The elder promptly turned invisible in order to avoid getting actively involved in the ensuing fight. Junior had followed his cousin but unfortunately, wasn't able to interact with anyone or anything. He gave a grunt of frustration.

"Get down!" Chris yelled as he saw the lamp thrown by the brute demon speeding towards Thomas. The teen-age witch ducked down and hid behind a sofa. Chris jumped into the battle. With one hand, he orbed several heavy objects towards the brute demon. With the other hand he was searching his jacket pockets for appropriate potion. The brute demon was simply using his enormous upper body strength to catch the heavy objects and hurdled them away. Chris knew that the only way to kill this demon was either with a potion or by stabbing it through the heart.

"Do you have any vanquishing potions?" Chris asked Thomas.

"Only some basic potions we learned to make at the magic school. I don't think they are powerful enough to take him out," Thomas answered, scared.

"Doesn't matter. Go and get them. I'll keep him busy," Chris told him. As soon as Thomas came out of his hiding place, the brute demon renewed his attacks on the younger witch. This gave Chris an opportunity to get close enough to the demon. Without hesitation, Chris pulled out his favorite atheme and stabbed the creature in the back. The blade was long enough to rupture its heart. The demon went up in flames. Thomas came running towards Chris who pulled him into a hug and began muttering reassuring words. Thomas was calm within minutes.

"Are you hurt?" Chris asked the boy. Thomas shrugged.

"Some minor scrapes and bruises. Nothing too bad," he answered.

"Dad, could you please heal him?" Chris said turning towards the place where he knew Leo was standing. Leo dropped the invisibility and moved towards Thomas. The golden glow emitting from Leo's hands healed the boy's injuries.

"That was a stupid risk you took…" Leo began admonishing Chris. In all honesty, Chris had no idea that the brute demon would turn to Thomas as soon as he came out from behind the sofa. But the demon was distracted and Chris took advantage of the opportunity.

"I'm OK, dad," Chris said confused. It wasn't like Leo to be too much concerned about Chris's demon vanquishing tactics.

"I'm talking about Thomas. You risked his wellbeing when you told him to get the potions," Leo clarified. This made more sense.

"That's your takeaway from all this? I'm not even his white-lighter. You have nothing to say about the fact that your precious first-born has been ignoring his charges? How about the fact that you stood there, under the cover of invisibility while we could have used a little help?" Chris asked disbelievingly.

"The fact that Wyatt wasn't here doesn't prove anything. The demon could have blocked his charge's calls, Or he could be in the middle of another battle. If you think showing me one isolated incident of Wyatt's alleged lack of work ethic is going to change anything…" Leo began but Thomas interrupted.

"Wyatt hasn't been answering my calls for weeks. Thankfully I know now how to call Chris using my telepathy," he said. Chris turned to Leo with raised eyebrows. Leo simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

"There has to be a good reason as to why Wyatt is not responding. And you know very well how dangerous it is for an elder to enter a battle. It could tip the balance of power…" Leo began unaffected by Thomas's revelation. The young witch glanced at Chris incredulously. Behind Leo, Chris could see that Junior had a similar expression. Chris rolled his eyes.

"And don't you roll your eyes at me…" Leo went on.

"I guess you need to see more. Thomas, if there is any more trouble, call me," Chris said to the boy. The young witch nodded. Chris ignored Leo's ranting and orbed them away once again.

* * *

><p>"You are not welcome here!" the old and blind Gypsy witch growled as soon as Chris and Leo orbed into her small shop. Leo was taken aback for a moment. Chris simply smiled and moved closer to her.<p>

"Don't think for a moment that I don't recognize you. You may have taken away my sight but the rest of my senses are still intact. You have the stench of a Halliwell on you," the old with said waving her walking stick at Chris.

"Helena, its me. Chris," the witch-lighter said as Helena's stick came dangerously close to hitting him in the ribs. The expression on the old woman's face changed from angry to delighted in a moment.

"Young Christopher. Please forgive me for my harsh words. I thought you were your brother," She said turning her expression sour momentarily when she said 'your brother'.

"And I don't stink," Chris exclaimed before sniffing his armpit and grimacing.

"You kind of do," Junior added but of course no one besides Chris heard him.

"I sense another presence here. And I'm not talking about your good for nothing father. Don't be surprised; I may not be able to tell you apart from your brother since you two have such similar magical signatures. But I know an elder when I sense one," Helena said turning towards Leo when she said 'father'. For a blind, old woman, she had remarkably keen senses, magical or otherwise. Leo scowled at her and was about to proclaim that he was a good father but Helena continued without giving him a chance to speak.

"I sense someone who loves you and looks up to you. I'm glad to know you have at least one such person in your life," Helena said touching Chris's cheek with almost grandmotherly affection. Chris was looking at Junior in surprise. This was not part of an actual memory and Junior wasn't supposed to be here. Chris was astonished at the fact that Helena had sensed him. There were quite a few things he didn't understand about Gypsy magic, Chris realized.

"Chris, who's she talking about?" Leo said suspiciously as he still couldn't sense anyone else in the small shop.

"Junior. But that's not why I brought you here. You need to hear what Wyatt did to her," Chris said. Helena scowled at the mere mention of the twice blessed.

"Your precious twice blessed son came to my shop a month ago. He demanded to see one of my prized possessions, my amulet of uncertainty. It is an artifact of great power. Trusting in the Halliwell name, I showed it to him, thinking he was curious about its history. Then he began asking me questions about its powers, the kind of questions that made me very uncomfortable. I demanded to have my amulet back and your son laughed at me. HE LAUGHED AT ME… Then he told me that he needed the amulet for some great deed and that he wanted to buy it. When I refused, he threatened me with a knife. Then he told me that he was taking the amulet anyway and that he was sparing my life as the price. Then he left. But not before blinding me with his magic, as a punishment for defying the 'king'," Helena said. Her tone became mocking as she said 'king'. Leo grimaced.

"I don't believe it. Someone must be impersonating Wyatt…" Leo was still unwilling to accept the facts.

"Don't forget elder, I still have my magic. I can show you exactly what happened that day. The only question is are you willing to see the truth?" Helena said waving at the crystal ball on her table. The transparent crystal turned murky momentarily before it began showing the events of that fateful day. Half way through the events Leo averted his eyes. It was becoming more and more difficult to deny what he was seeing. He had sensed if the Gypsy was playing some trick on him but her spell and her hatred toward Wyatt seemed genuine. He couldn't deny the fact that image of the person projected was that of his son.

"Maybe he was possessed or it was a shape-shifter…" Leo was grasping at straws by now. Chris coldly grabbed his hand.

"Very well. If you insist on not seeing the truth, I'll show you undeniable proof," Chris said before he orbed them away to the underworld.

* * *

><p>"Make us both invisible and mask your presence from anyone, even Wyatt," Chris demanded. Leo reluctantly complied. Chris led him through numerous caverns before they arrived at a large underground hall of a sort. The area was almost filled with powerful upper level demons. Leo realized it was the coronation room of the source. He wondered how Chris knew about the place and was about to demand an explanation but Chris already knew what his father was about to ask.<p>

"I followed Wyatt here one night," he said in a low whisper. Leo was about to say something but his words froze in his throat. There, in front of the gathered demons, was Wyatt. But contrary to Leo's expectations, he wasn't attacking the demons. Within moments he began to speak.

"For thousands of years we have seen the battle between good v/s evil going on. Demons have been killing witches and witches have been vanquishing demons. How long are we going to stick to these outdated ideals and suffer losses on both sides? Enough is enough. I, for one, am not going to tolerate this anymore. I'm sick and tired of the meaningless battle. The elders say that good and evil are two sides of a coin. The coin can only land in one of two ways. As such there are only two possible outcomes of this age-old battle, the triumph of good over evil or the triumph of evil over good. But there is a third option. What if… what if you throw a coin enough times? What if one day… it lands on its edge? I'm here to make it happen. I am going to form a united kingdom of demons and witches, of good and evil. I have already proven to you that I possess the kind of power that even the strongest among you do not stand a chance against me. So here is my proposal. You will… accept me as your source and obey me. In return, I will grant you protection from myself and any witches that join me. Anyone who doesn't join me, demon or witch, is not going to survive very long, I assure you of that. And you will have free reign to hunt any mortals you want as long as they haven't joined my side," Wyatt said in a challenging tone. The demons were furiously discussing Wyatt's speech but Leo was in no condition to listen any longer. This was irrefutable proof. Leo's happy little bubble of denial had finally shattered. Chris quietly slipped his catatonic father away from the demons and orbed him up to the golden gate bridge as soon as they were at a safe distance from Wyatt's throne room.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry Chris, for not believing in you. I guess I didn't even want to consider the possibility because it would mean that I'm a failure as a father. It was easier to blame it on your inferiority complex and sibling rivalry. I didn't want to see the truth because it would mean that I played an instrumental role in bringing about this disaster. Do you think you can ever forgive me?" Leo asked in a broken voice. Suddenly Chris saw, not Leo but <em>his father<em>, begging for his forgiveness. Growing up with a loving and caring father in the current timeline, he always knew Leo as a strong man with an incredible sense of pride. It killed him to see the man so vulnerable and broken. Without a word, Chris pulled his dad in a hug. In that instant, his memories of his father had become stronger than the Leo from the dark future. Chris knew he was finally able to let go of all the residual resentment.

"I love you, dad," He whispered. Before he knew, Leo had vanished and the vision ended. Chris turned to Junior who was standing behind him, smiling. Chris began answering his cousin's unspoken question.

"I got rid of most of my rage towards Leo when I beat the crap out of him after the spider demon incident. But his apologies didn't mean much to me since he didn't know what he was apologizing for. It felt almost patronizing and that made it worse. I couldn't tell all this to dad without hurting him in the process. I guess that was the goal of this vision, to fix my relationship with dad," Chris said smiling sadly. The scene began to shift again and Chris sighed.

* * *

><p>"I don't think I can take it anymore," Chris said, tiredly.<p>

"I don't think you need to. Look" Junior said. Chris turned to face in the direction Junior was pointing. It was Chris's twenty-first birthday celebration. It was definitely from the current timeline and not the dark future. For one reason, Chris neither had time nor enthusiasm to celebrate his birthday by the time he was twenty-one in the dark future. And for another, his mother and aunts were still alive in this particular memory. What followed were a series of random events in Chris's current life that reminded him strongly that he had a sometimes irritating but loving and caring family. They revisited Chris's first legal alcoholic beverage, his championship soccer match attended by his father, his first kiss, numerous occasions when one of his family had stepped in harms way to protect him and lastly, they witnessed the moment when he got the acceptance letter from his preferred medical school. Chris was content. He had faced his issues with his family and realized that it was all worth it.

* * *

><p>"He's coming around," Chris heard his mother's voice. He opened his eyes and tried to clear his blurred vision. The rustle beside him told him that Junior had awoken too.<p>

"How're you feeling?" Wyatt asked, worried. He was kneeling besides him and hadn't left his side this whole time.

"Never better," Chris responded. Wyatt pulled him in a fierce hug. Chris returned the hug just as enthusiastically.

"I'm glad you're OK, baby bro," Wyatt said. Suddenly Chris stiffened.

"What is it?" Wyatt asked confused.

"Catherine?" Chris whispered. Junior and Wyatt were the only ones near enough to hear what he said. The very next moment, Chris gasped and his body went limp in his brother's arms. Wyatt, Junior and the others kept calling him, trying to wake him up. But Chris was already beyond their reach.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Fifteenth chapter.<strong>

**What do you think is going to happen to Chris? And what has Catherine got to do with anything? I'd love to hear the opinions/predictions from my readers.**

**Kindly read and review.**


	17. The Instinct

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed and/or added me/this story to their favorites. By the way I have introduced two more characters in this chapter and updated the cast info. While writing this chapter, I had Chandler Massey playing Niall and Brant Daugherty as Andris in my mind.

**xxxDrSpencerReidxxx****:** Thanks for the review. I'm not yet sure if this story is going to end with a cliffhanger. But there is going to be a sequel for sure.

**Charmed Auranae:** Catherine's identity will most likely become clear in the next couple of chapters. I wanted to explain it in this one but the chapter became too long so I decided not to. I hope you like this chapter.

**lizardmomma****:** I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**rettop-yrrah****:** I answered your question in a PM. One drawback of writing so many details in long chapters is that it becomes difficult to keep track of the past events. May be I should start adding small recaps of past chapters in the beginning.

**SuperBadKitty37****:** Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you liked my story.

**ReCharmed:** Thank you for the review. I'm sorry I couldn't add any romantic content in this chapter for Chris as he's still stuck in a vision. But I promise to try my best in the future.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>The Instinct<strong>

"Welcome back, Catalyst. I was a little offended that you didn't want to resolve your issues with me. After all, I was the one who stabbed you," Came a disembodied voice. Even though Chris couldn't see him, he knew who it was.

"I'll deal with my issues with you by vanquishing you," Chris spat. Gideon chuckled. Suddenly Chris heard a whooshing sound behind him. He instinctively ducked and turned to his left. A fireball zipped passed his shoulder.

Show yourself, coward," Chris yelled, glancing around. For the first time, he was able to take in his surroundings. He was in a dark and damp semicircular cavern. The torches lit by the curved wall illuminated the room just enough to show an archway at the center of the curved wall that was blocked by some kind of shimmering force field. Midway between the center of the semicircle and the archway, was some kind of altar. Chris wanted to examine it but he doubted if he had the time.

"Your petty insults are not going to change anything. Your time is up. Power of two is as good as broken," Gideon said confidently as he appeared right in front of Chris. Before the half elder could react, Gideon stabbed him in the gut, in exactly the same place he had twenty-three years ago.

"Sacrificing you was necessary," Gideon said in almost regretful tone. Chris hissed in pain as he clutched the wound on his stomach. He could feel his strength draining as darkness began to take over. Does this mean I was always destined to die at twenty-three? What about the prophecy then? Chris was thinking as he felt Gideon floated his limp body to the altar. Soon enough he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>"Chris!" Junior exclaimed in horror as he noticed a crimson stain growing on his stomach. Wyatt extended his hand without thinking to try and heal his brother. Unfortunately, the healing power had no effect. Leo growled in rage. History was repeating itself and there was nothing he could do. Junior quickly unbuttoned Chris's shirt to figure out exactly how deep the magic resistant wound was. He glanced at Wyatt in horror who had the exact same expression. Chris was in serious trouble.<p>

"It was right here…" Paige muttered as she frantically flipped through the book. Piper was catatonic. Twenty-three years ago, when they had told her that her son was dead, it hadn't really hit her as hard. Baby Chris was in her arms and she was reasonably sure that Wyatt had been saved so there would be no reason for Chris to travel back in time. Which meant he wasn't going to die. Which meant he hadn't really died. Deep down she knew there was a flaw in her reasoning but she decided to ignore it. But now, there was no denying it. Her son was dying once again, probably at the hands of the same evil that took him decades ago.

"What are you looking for?" Junior asked his mother. Phoebe and Leo glanced at the youngest charmed one.

"I wrote a spell to heal Chris. After Gideon stabbed him twenty-three years ago we couldn't heal him because of the curse on the atheme. After Chris vanished in thin air, I was afraid that he had been transported to future. Which would be the present time. I created the spell to break the curse shortly after that, just in case past Chris showed up with the same wound today. But after Kevin told us that Chris's soul was merged with our Chris, I had no real reason to think that we'd need it. But I wrote it in the book nevertheless," Paige explained while still searching the book. Leo gave her a grateful look.

"Here it is," Paige said triumphantly. She quickly began chanting.

Wound resistant to healing glow

A curse blocks the magic's flow

I call upon the Halliwell witches

Close the wounds without stitches

Wyatt continued trying to heal but unfortunately, nothing had changed.

* * *

><p>In the vision, Chris was trying this best to stay awake but the enormous pain and blood loss from his body was taking its toll. He could sense that Gideon was no longer standing over him. Instead, he was near the archway. Through his blurred vision, Chris could make out that the source was attempting to dissipate the force field and open the archway. He couldn't imagine why Gideon was so interested in whatever was beyond the locked gateway. After all, this was Chris's vision. They were in his mind and he really didn't think the source was going to find anything of value here.<p>

* * *

><p>"Why didn't it work?" Wyatt asked still trying to heal. Junior was thoughtful for a moment.<p>

"May be the spell needs to be cast in the vision and not in the real world. After all Chris was stabbed in his vision," Junior said.

"It kind of makes sense," Paige said hopefully.

"I'm going back in," Junior declared. He gulped down what remained of the potion quickly, before anyone could object. Paige was staring at her son disapprovingly but Prue was the one to voice her thoughts.

"Odie, you idiot. We don't even know if Chris was sucked back into his vision or some other sinister place. There is no…" she began but was interrupted by Junior.

"All the more reason for me to follow. Chris needs the spell and I've already drunk the potion. If you three don't cast the spell, I'm going to be in a vision anyway. Might as well send me to Chris's," Junior said matter-of-factly. Neither of the charmed ones were happy with it but they cast the spell anyway. Junior was back with Chris.

* * *

><p>Chris had lost count how many times he had slipped into unconsciousness but it hadn't been too long as Gideon was still attempting to open the doorway. Suddenly he felt a presence besides him. He managed to turn his head and saw Junior crouching behind the altar, hiding from Gideon.<p>

"Shhh! I'm here to heal you. Stay still," Junior whispered before casting his mother's spell in the same hushed voice. He then extended his hand and began healing his big brother. This time, it worked. Chris could feel his strength returning. Within moments, the wound on his body was healed and he was back to normal. Gideon had felt that something was not right. He turned around to see Chris was sitting on the altar. And Junior was standing besides him in front of the altar. Both witch-lighters were glaring at him menacingly.

"This is my mind and you're not welcome here!" Chris hissed as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Gideon gave a howl of rage before he was forcibly removed from the vision and from Chris's mind.

"Is he really gone?" Junior asked. Chris nodded.

"I think so. But I have no idea as to how to get myself and you out of here," he observed.

"May be it still like a vision quest. I wouldn't be surprised if you find some memory to confront beyond that arch," Junior said shrugging. This was as good an explanation as any. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.

"May be that's what Gideon was trying to do, trying to see my memories and possibly uncover our plan. But he was pretty sure that he had killed me. I don't see what seeing any of my memories would accomplish when I was about to die. Any idea what he was doing there? I was kind of out of it. I'm hoping you saw what he was doing exactly," Chris said looking at Junior expectantly.

"I haven't the foggiest. I was too worried about healing you," the blond witch-lighter answered. Chris nodded in understanding. Junior walked to the archway and tried to touch the force field. The shimmering barrier did not let his hand pass through but it didn't hurt him either. A force field that didn't hurt was pleasantly unexpected. Chris hopped off from the altar and began examining it. The altar was carved out of a solid slab of marble. It was about the same dimensions as a twin-size bed. The top surface was smooth as if polished. The borders had been carved with intricate patterns and inlayed with colorful gemstones and precious metals. It was truly a work of art. What caught his attention were the carvings on the four sides. The middle portion of all the four sides had some scenes depicted on them. Closer observation revealed that they were things that were important to him. The two longer sides depicted the Equalizer and the Book of Shadows. One of the shorter sides had a triquetra carved on it while the other held a symbol he hadn't seen anywhere else. It resembled a shield with intricately carved letters 'K' and 'C' and the right and left halves respectively. The letter 'K' had a crown around the top portion while the letter C had lightening bolt slashing across it from the top right to bottom left. Chris thought he felt a tingle running through his arm as he touched the letter 'C'. If the triquetra symbolized the power of three, surely this new symbol represented the power of two. The 'K' and 'C' obviously stood for the 'King' and the 'Catalyst'. It made sense that the 'K' represented Wyatt while he was the 'C' with the elder bolts. Suddenly he realized that there was some text at the bottom.

"There is some inscription on it…" Chris said as he kneeled down to take a closer look. This caught Junior's attention.

"It says 'Self-deception is the lock. Wisdom is the key. To open the path to self-awareness, sacrifice that what you most need.' I wonder what it means," Chris said loud enough for Junior to hear, who promptly abandoned his study of the archway and walked back to his cousin.

"Well, obviously it is referring to the locked archway. I'd say if we manage to get past the force field, we'd probably uncover some fact about you that even you're not consciously aware of," Junior said with a 'duh!' face.

"Yae. I got that part. I was referring to the 'that what you need the most' part," Chris said returning the exact same expression. Junior rolled his eyes.

"Well you were stabbed and you're still a little week from blood loss, at least your body back at the manor is… So may be, you have to sacrifice a bit of your blood at the altar. May be Gideon was trying to do the same. He probably thought spilling your blood on the altar would dissipate the force field," Junior said.

"Blood became 'that I need the most' because he stabbed me," Chris countered.

"I'm just bouncing ideas off of you. It's not like this is an exact science. Besides, you do need blood to survive. May be he was trying to spill enough of it to make it that critical," Junior said shrugging.

"You're right. It's worth a try. Do you have an atheme handy?" Chris asked turning to his little cousin. Junior, who was anticipating this question, was already offering a sharp pocketknife that was given to him by his dad.

"You're going to have to do it. Self inflicted wounds cannot be healed and I really don't want to walk around with a sliced palm," Chris said as he extended his left hand and waited. Junior wrinkled his nose but complied nevertheless. He sliced open a thin wound on Chris's palm. But before a single drop of his blood had fallen on to the altar, the wound was healed.

"What the hell?" Chris muttered as he glanced at Junior in confusion.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, Wyatt and the others were confused. They had seen the wound on Chris's abdomen close itself and given a sigh of relief but he wasn't yet awake. To add to the confusion, a small gash had spontaneously opened up on the hand that Wyatt was currently holding. Did that mean Chris was hurt in the vision? Was he fighting someone or something in there? Wyatt had instinctively healed his brother's hand. To his surprise, the same wound appeared at the same place again. Wyatt healed it again. This happened about five times. Wyatt was getting flustered.<p>

"Honey, that wound might be intentional. May be he's trying to use his blood for some ritual or something," Phoebe said to her nephew. Wyatt was looking at her in confusion when a few shallow cuts appeared on Chris's forearm and took the form of three bloody words 'Do not heal'. Obviously, what ever happened to Chris's body in the vision; happened in real world as well. His genius little brother had devised a way to communicate with his family out side his vision quest.

* * *

><p>Chris watched in satisfaction as the wound stayed open long enough to spill a drop of blood on the intricately carved marble altar. The blood was absorbed by the white stone as water is absorbed by sponge. Golden lights swirled around over the center of the altar before materializing into the form of a boy. He was about Chris's age just like Niles. He had longish blond hair that fell over his forehead. The expression on his face was calm, collected and almost indifferent. In a stark contrast, his bluish grey eyes were glittering as if with excitement.<p>

"Who're you?" Chris asked curiously and just a little bit suspiciously.

"I am your guide. I will lead you through the rest of the labyrinth till you find what you're looking for. For the sake of convenience, you may call me Niall. Before you proceed, however, you need to choose a weapon to assist you in the challenges you will face in the labyrinth," Niall said in a strangely monotonous and emotionless voice.

"Challenges? What kind of challenges?" Chris asked. Junior was staring at the blond boy disbelievingly.

"You will find out soon enough. Tell me, what sort of weapon do you prefer?" Niall asked without giving Chris any information about the labyrinth.

"Well, if I have a choice, I much rather have the Equalizer handy," Chris answered. A faintest smile appeared on Niall's face before it disappeared.

"Well then. Call forth the name to summon the sword. May your journey into the depths of your mind be fruitful," Niall answered. Extending his right hand, Chris called for his sword. The whole room shook for a moment as if in an earthquake. A large crack appeared along the middle of the beautiful altar before it shattered into several large pieces. As if attracted by a powerful magnet, the hilt of the Equalizer flew from the rubble and into Chris's outstretched hand. After a moment's concentration, the rest of the shards of the Equalizer flew out of the rubble of the altar as well and assembled themselves in the form of the formidable sword.

"What kind of weapon do I get?" Junior asked as he found his voice.

"You do not need a weapon," Niall answered shortly. The shimmering force field on the archway dissipated. Cautiously, Chris stepped through.

"Aw," Junior exclaimed as he banged his nose against the force field that was back up as soon as Chris stepped through.

"What the hell?" Junior and Chris exclaimed almost in unison.

"Christopher has to face the challenges alone. He needs to understand himself better and your presence there will be counterproductive. Besides your family needs you back at the manor," Niall said in the same emotionless voice. As he was speaking, the Archway melted away along with Junior and the semicircular room with the broken altar. Chris was standing in a small dead-end tunnel lit by torches by the walls. There was no way to go back. Only way was forward.

* * *

><p>Junior woke up in the attic with a gasp. Apparently, Niall, whoever he was, had removed Junior from Chris's vision and dumped him back in his own body.<p>

"What happened?" Wyatt asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"I'm not entirely certain. Gideon was there. But as soon as I healed Chris, he was able to throw him out. But then we could not figure out a way to escape ourselves," Junior began explaining everything that had happened in Chris's vision. Wyatt was getting increasingly more agitated. It wasn't enough that Chris trusted Niles entirely too much for no apparent reason. And now, this new Niall guy was influencing his baby brother. The twice blessed didn't like this one bit.

"I'm going in," he declared. Junior shook his head.

"I don't think that's going to work. If I understand the situation correctly, this Niall is somehow a part of Chris, a facet if you will, that even Chris is unaware of. If he threw me out, it meant, in a sense, Chris himself threw me out. If that's true, he'll block any one else from entering the vision. If you think about it, the bit about self-deception makes sense if Chris faces it alone. Any interference from any of us will influence Chris in a way that will beat the purpose of the quest," Junior explained. But it didn't seem like Wyatt was willing to listen. The decision was taken out of his hands in the next moment.

"Watch out!" Prue yelled as she levitated out of the path of a fireball. All hell broke loose in the next moment.

* * *

><p>Chris proceeded to follow the small corridor. Eventually it ended in a long flight of stairs. With nowhere else to go, Chris began descending the stairs. At the bottom he passed through another archway and on to a small ledge. The ledge he was standing on oversaw a circular room some ten feed below. It was divided into two halves by a tall stonewall that extended all the way from the floor to the ceiling. The wall would have divided the ledge in two halves as well, except; it ended abruptly at the end of the ledge. It was clear to Chris that if he jumped down in one half of the circular room, the other half would be inaccessible. This was clearly designed to force him to make a choice and follow through with it without giving him an option to change his mind once the decision was made. He was unable to orb, he had checked. Each half of the room contained an archway on the curved wall opposite to the central wall. This, Chris assumed, was the way out or, the way to the next challenge. The floor of the room did not meet the walls, however. There was a small chasm between the floor and all the walls. Judging from the yellowish orange glow emitting from it, there was either fire or lava in the foot-wide chasm. The purpose of the chasm was not clear to him.<p>

"You're right in all your conclusions. Purpose of the chasm will become clear soon enough," came a voice from the left. Niall was standing there with an expressionless face. Chris scowled at him.

"Are you reading my mind?" he growled. He quickly reasserted his mental blocks. Everything seemed fine. Except this seemingly emotionless guy knew exactly what he was thinking. But then it struck him. They were _in_ his mind. And this guy was most likely a part of it. His mental blocks had nothing to do with it.

"You're right once again. Let's proceed with your first choice, shall we?" Niall said waiving his hand. The air in the two semicircular rooms shimmered momentarily before the scene was unraveled. In the left hand side room, Reese was being ambushed by three brute demons. They were about to pummel him into the ground. On the right hand side room, there was Wyatt, being attacked by a group of manticores. At the moment, however both of the scenes were motionless as if affected by his mother's freezing power.

"Make your choice. Who will you save?" Niall asked showing a hint of emotion for the first time, curiosity.

"If I choose one, what happens to the other?" Chris asked.

"They will be forced to fend for themselves, of course," Niall answered without volunteering any extra information. Chris rolled his eyes.

"What if they get hurt? Or worse? Will the real people outside this vision get hurt as well?" Chris asked what he truly feared.

"No," Niall answered shortly. Chris relaxed a little bit but Niall's tightlipped attitude was annoying him.

"Well then, what's stopping me from just making random choices to get this thing over with?" Chris asked smugly.

"In short term? Nothing at all. But I would advice you to consider your long-term goals. You've been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to understand yourself better. The lady and the source had their own selfish reasons to bring you here. They didn't fully understand you and wanted to get an insight on how your mind works. Their plan was foiled when you threw Gideon out of your mind. But you're here. Why not take this chance to understand yourself better?" Niall asked incredulously, as if he could never comprehend how Chris could even think of wasting this opportunity. Chris nodded reluctantly. Of course, if he knew of the events unfolding at the manor at the moment, he would have thought differently. The scenes in the two rooms were still frozen but Chris could see the level of the lava rising in the chasm. It was clear that this served as a timeout. If Chris took too long to decide, the decision will be taken away from him.

"I have blocked anyone else from entering your vision. So do not expect assistance from any of your family," Niall warned further before disappearing. Chris didn't really have to think much. He jumped down to help Reese.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, the first wave of the demons struck. Wyatt immediately erected his shield to protect his little brother's motionless body. Which also meant that he was unable to use any of his offensive powers. The sisters, Prue and Junior who were outside, sprang into action.<p>

"Dad! Watch out!" Junior yelled at his father as he entered the attic, unaware that a group of demons had just shimmered in. One of the upper level demons threw a fireball at the mortal. Junior's warning had come too late, however and the fireball hit Henry Sr., square in the chest. Junior gave a howl of fear and anger. To his utter surprise, the fireball was simply absorbed by Henry Sr.'s body and the man was unharmed. Even the demon was confused for a moment. Junior quickly orbed an atheme into the demon's chest and the vile creature burst in to flames and reduced to a pile of ashes.

"Dad, are you OK?" Junior asked.

"I think so. What just happened?" He asked, confused.

"I have no idea," Junior replied as he made short work of another demon. Paige, who was distracted by her husband's close call, was about to be a target of another energy ball. Henry Sr. quickly sprang into action and pulled his wife closer. Instinctively, he shielded her with his body and the energy ball hid him in the back this time. Again it was absorbed without a trace.

"OK. What the hell?" Phoebe exclaimed as she observed what had happened. Nobody had an answer. And they didn't have time to think. The battle was going strong.

* * *

><p>As soon as Chris's feet touched the ground, the scene unfroze. Chris quickly jumped into action and plunged the Equalizer into one of the brute demon's back. The creature went up in flames. Another one was about to crack open Reese's skull with his bare hands when Chris used one of his unification abilities. He sent the shards of the Equalizer flying towards the brute demon like a swarm of bees. Before the creature could touch a hair on Reese's head, the shards embedded themselves all over his body. The demon gave a blood-curdling scream and reduced to a pile of ashes. In the mean while, Reese had levitated safely away and subsequently had kicked one of the last two remaining demons in the chest. The creature stumbled backwards. Chris observed through the corner of his vision that the rising lava in the chasm had reached the surface, and the demon Reese had kicked had stumbled into it. He was vanquished instantly. Knowing he was running out of time, Chris stabbed the last demon and vanquished him.<p>

"Well done," came Niall's voice. The blond was standing near the archway and the force field was dissipated. Reese was frozen and so was the rising lava.

"Before we proceed, tell me. Why did you choose Reese over your brother?" Niall asked. Chris scowled at him.

"You can read my mind. You already know the answer," he hissed.

"Indulge me then," Niall said calmly.

"First of all, Reese is my brother as well. And secondly, Wyatt is powerful. He's perfectly capable of taking care of a few manticores. Reese was no way weak but he was outmatched. He needed my help more than Wyatt," Chris answered shortly.

"Let's see how Wyatt's battle turned out shall we?" Niall said as he waived a hand. The wall in the center crumpled and the scene on the other side was revealed. Wyatt was standing alone surrounded by a few piles of ashes. He seemed tired and a bit bruised and battered but he had triumphed.

"Let's proceed to the next challenge, shall we?" Niall said gesturing to the newly opened archway.

* * *

><p>Back at the manor, Wyatt noticed a few bruises forming on Chris's body. Unable to take part in the fight around him, the only thing he could do was healing his brother. Junior had, in the meanwhile contacted his sisters and arranged for the more vulnerable family members like Victor to be transported to the magic school. There was no guarantee that Gideon wouldn't attack the magic school but that place was by far the most secure places after the attic. And at the moment, the attic was the most dangerous place. But the witches were reasonably sure that as long as Chris and Wyatt were here, Gideon would concentrate his attacks to the manor. Henry Sr. had outright refused to go to the magic school. He was enjoying his newfound immunity to the demon magic and doing everything in his power to help his family. This was more or less limited to shielding his family from stray fireballs. No one was sure why he was immune to magic but they weren't complaining. It meant they had one less person to worry about and that was enough.<p>

"I think it was the poison that killed Roland," Junior said suddenly while dodging a dark-lighter arrow and orbing a heavy vase aimed at a demon's head.

"What?" Wyatt asked confused. He quickly cast Chris's dark-lighter frying spell and got rid of the nuisance before things got out of hand. To his frustration, in most of the fights they were forced into over past few weeks, he ended up guarding some one with his shield instead of taking an active role. But being the only one with a shield, he had little choice at the moment.

"The arrow nicked dad's palm. The poison was supposed to strip magic. But since dad's not magical, I think it made him immune to magic. I need to do some more research on that," Junior explained his theory after vanquishing two more demons. Unfortunately, the thought process had him distracted and he was about to be hit by a fireball.

"We don't have time for your scholarly pursuits at the moment. Pay attention to the battle would you?" Prue hissed as she levitated and pushed Junior out of harm's way.

"Oh, OK. You don't have to yell at me," Junior said but gave her a grateful smile nonetheless.

* * *

><p>The bruises Chris had acquired during last battle had spontaneously disappeared. He knew it was his brother's doing. He silently thanked Wyatt for healing and protecting his body, back at the manor. As soon as he passed the archway the room behind along with the door disappeared. Chris found himself in a dead end corridor once again. Just like before, the only way forward was down a long flight of stairs. Unsurprisingly, he found himself standing on top of another ledge overlooking an identical circular room. Except this time, Niall was nowhere to be found. Chris assumed that the 'guide' had already given him all the necessary instructions and he would probably not show up till the next battle is over.<p>

"Are you kidding me?" Chris muttered to himself as he took in the scene in each half of the circular room. On the right hand side, there was Junior, being ambushed by a bunch of Kazi demons. Those demons weren't the brightest of the lot and consequently, not much of a challenge. But their sheer numbers became a problem sometimes. On the left hand side was Adam being attacked by a single upper level demon. Adam had inherited his white-lighter side from his father J.D. and his Wicca side from his mother Billie. So far Adam had inherited only one power from his mother, projection. If mastered, the power of projection was one of the most potent Wicca powers. Without the use of portals and potions, the power of projection allowed the wielder to travel through time and do so many other things that would seem impossible otherwise. Adam was more of a white-lighter than a witch, however, and his power of projection was still in its primitive state. Junior was outnumbered but was clever and resourceful to beat the meatheads. Adam on the other hand could have been in bigger trouble. The choice was clear. Chris had to help Adam. As soon as Chris jumped down, the scene unfroze and the battle began.

Chris had battled innumerable upper level demons so far and was certainly capable of defeating the vile creature. However, this particular demon had an annoying power. He was wielding a kind of whip made of pure energy. The whip was about fifteen feet long and seemed to have its own mind. More than ones its tip grazed Chris, once on his chest and twice on the left arm. Chris quickly realized that the dream version of the equalizer didn't have the unique ability of the real sword to make him invincible.

"Son of a…" Chris cursed as the tip of the whip lashed his skin, this time on his cheek. Considering the size of the room, avoiding this weapon was getting increasingly difficult while trying to score a hit with the equalizer. Niall had forgotten to mention that once Chris chose his weapon, his other powers were going to be inaccessible. Seeing as the demon was concentrating on Chris, Adam moved to the farthest corner of the room and sat down Indian style. He concentrated on his power and projected a pit of boiling lava right underneath the demon's feet. The demon fell into the molten rock and was vanquished instantly. Chris watched with a mix of horror and amazement.

"Remind me never to piss you off," the half elder said to the witch-lighter. Adam smiled shyly before the scene was frozen once again and Niall reappeared.

"I was surprised to see you chose a friend over family. Why did you not help Junior?" Niall asked. Chris shrugged.

"Junior is smart. I trust in his abilities. I knew for a fact that he would survive. I wasn't sure how much of a chance Adam had. He has one of the most effective powers but he hasn't completely learned to control it. For all practical purposes, he's a pacifist white-lighter. I had to help him," Chris answered. Niall seemed satisfied.

"Let's see if your confidence in Junior's abilities was well placed," the blond man said as he obliterated the wall behind Chris. On the other side, Junior stood victorious. He was sweating profusely and had a couple of angry looking gashes on his chest and arms but he had survived. It must have been a close call but as Halliwell witches, neither Chris nor Junior was stranger to the feeling. Niall had removed the force field blocking the exit. Without another word, Chris proceeded to his next challenge.

* * *

><p>Gideon was surely getting desperate. After Chris had thrown him out of his mind, wave after wave of demons had attacked the manor. There were only so many of the witches while the number of the demons seemed virtually limitless. Junior couldn't believe that these many demons were willing to sacrifice their lives at the source's command. After all, demons were inherently selfish. Of course they probably weren't fighting out of loyalty to the source. Gideon had most likely threatened to vanquish them and if they were going to die either way, most of them would prefer to take down a few witches in the process.<p>

"Just how many demons are there? We must have vanquished more than hundred in past fifteen minutes and they still keep coming," Paige said irritated. She firmly believed that all this demons killing was making her look far older than she really was.

"It's like the food chain, lower the level, higher the number. The higher you go…" Junior went into lecture mode almost habitually and then paused. The fact he hadn't noticed so far was that all the demons, except may be two, were lower level demons. Gideon must have known that these lowlifes would never succeed in taking down the Halliwells. Which meant this was probably a distraction. They had to find out what he was up to. But first, they had to bar more demons from shimmering in.

"Mom, please take the aunts with you and ward the house. We'll keep them busy," Junior yelled as he plunged a poisoned atheme into a demon's chest.

"No, I'm not leaving you to fight them on your own," Paige countered before she orbed out of the way of a fireball. Besides, if warding the house had kept the demons out, they would have invented permanent wards for the manor.

"Mom, we can't go on fighting like this indefinitely. They're lower level demons. The wards should block them and it will be a while before they find a way around. This is the only way," Junior tried to make his case. He had to break the eye contact with his mother as two more demons ganged up on him. Paige was about to protest but Phoebe interrupted her before kicking the legs from underneath one of the bulkier demons.

"He's right, sweetie. This is the only way to keep their numbers in check. We cannot keep fighting like this for very long," the empath said. One glance at Wyatt was enough for her to come to that conclusion. Most of the demons had been trying to break through his shield and it was taking a lot of efforts on his part to keep it up. He was protecting his brother's body while healing any new injuries that appeared on the prone man.

"If we're warding the house, we've to be quick about it," Piper observed before she blew up three demons in rapid succession. Paige finally gave in after a moment's hesitation. The sisters moved near the attic door while Junior, Carver and Prue distracted the demons. Junior wasn't too worried about the fact that the demons had heard, at least those who survived long enough to hear the entire conversation, the entire plan. These were quite possibly some of the dumbest demons he had encountered so far. The couple of upper level demons didn't care, as the wards wouldn't have blocked their kind anyway. The charmed ones slipped out and began working on the wards.

"That's more like it," Junior said with satisfaction as he sensed the wards being activated and observed corresponding reduction in the number of newly arriving lower level demons. Within minutes, all of the lower level demons were gone and the only intruders in the attic were two upper level demons.

"Odie, behind you!" Carver shrieked. But his warning came in too late. One of the upper level demons had grabbed Junior from behind and was holding a sharp knife at his right carotid. Wyatt suddenly lowered his shield and powered up an energy ball. He was pissed beyond reason and the demons didn't stand a chance. Except, he didn't have a clear shot. None of them did. Wyatt quickly vanquished the only other demon that remained in the attic but that pissed off the demon that was holding Henry Jr. hostage. The witch-lighter couldn't orb out, as the demon's hold on his body was strong.

"Now, that was a mistake," the demon said menacingly as he pressed the knife harder against Junior's throat.

"No!" Paige gasped as she reentered the attic with her sisters.

* * *

><p>Chris was getting tired of these challenges. Next one seemed to be a no brainer at first glance. On one hand, there was Wyatt; surrounded by a bunch of demons, while on the other side; there was his roomie and best friend outside the family, Aaron. The poor mortal was tied up, half naked and apparently being tortured, presumably to extract information about Chris. The half elder was about to jump to save Aaron, thinking Wyatt was perfectly capable of vanquishing a bunch of demons. However, Niall's voice stopped him.<p>

"Are you sure you want to save the mortal?" The blond asked calmly. Chris whirled around and stared at his alleged guide.

"What do you mean? Aaron has no means of protecting himself while Wyatt is a formidable witch. How could the choice not be obvious?" Chris asked disbelievingly.

"Look at the demons attacking your brother more closely. What do you see?" Niall asked, dispassionately. Chris took in the appearance of the demons and then it dawned on him. These weren't ordinary demons. They were the order that had infected him as a baby. They weren't trying to kill him. They were trying to turn him. If Wyatt became evil, it would spell disaster. Thousands of innocents would perish. It wasn't a choice between a powerful witch and a single innocent. It was a choice between Thousands of innocents versus a single one. Chris breathed in deeply.

"Helping your brother is to serve the greater good. What will you do?" Niall asked. Chris scowled at the blond. 'Greater good,' Chris hated that term passionately. His instinct was telling him to save Aaron but the implications of Wyatt's turning were enough to give him a pause. He had seen the depravity of the dark future first hand and he had all his unlocked memories to prove it. Did he really have a choice?

"Well?" Niall prompted him after several long moments, his voice now sounded curious than anything. Chris was reasonably certain by now that Niall was somehow a part of himself. Although he couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that one facet of his personality could be so dry and frigid. Niall didn't show an ounce of passion or any emotion for that matter. His demeanor was that of an ideal reasoner. The only thing that seemed important to him was knowledge, pure and unadulterated knowledge. The thought that a part of him could be so unfeeling was terrifying for the half elder. He pulled himself together the next moment and jumped down to help Aaron.

Taking care of the torturer wasn't a big deal. She was a single demon, beautiful and dangerous. Apparently she hadn't bothered to bring backup, as she wasn't expecting much of a challenge from a mere mortal. Deep down Chris knew that the number of demons or the difficulty of the encounter was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was reasoning behind his choices. Within minutes, the demon was destroyed and Aaron was free. The scene froze once again and Niall reappeared to analyze Chris's choice.

"How do you think you did? Do you think it was the right choice?" the blond guide asked. Chris closed his eyes for a moment before responding.

"It was a choice between fact and speculation. If I hadn't intervened, Aaron would surely have died. The scenario with Wyatt's turning was pure supposition. I had to trust in Wyatt's ability in fighting the evil and stay on the path of righteousness. Last time, he was just a baby. Now, he's much stronger and knows better than to give in the temptation of the evil," Chris answered. Niall was satisfied.

"Would you like to see the out come of the battle on the other side?" Niall asked. Chris shrugged.

"It wouldn't change anything. Any decision I make is based on the information I have when I make it. Knowing now whether Wyatt turned or not doesn't make my reasoning any less appropriate," the half elder retorted. Niall smiled and waved his hand. The wall crumpled and on the others side, stood Chris's worst nightmare. His sweet, loving and caring big brother had been corrupted. The ominous gleam in his obsidian eyes was proof enough.

"Are you still sure your decision was the correct one?" Niall asked again. Chris tore his eyes away from the image of his brother surrounded by his demonic followers.

"Like I said, this doesn't change anything. If this had happened in real life, I would have made the same decision. I would have done everything in my power to save my brother but not at the cost of an innocent life. Even if I had to go back in time, I wouldn't change my decision," Chris said firmly.

"In your other life, you did sacrifice innocents for the greater good. You killed the Valkyries and you were willing to vanquish Dan due to an off chance that he might become a problem in the future. What changed?" Niall asked with a hint of smile on his face, although it didn't seem to be a malicious smile.

"My upbringing. This time around I had two loving parents, alive and well beyond my teenage years and siblings who are the greatest force of good," Chris answered simply.

"So you do acknowledge the fact that you are not the same as the Chris who travelled to the past," Niall asked almost to make sure Chris understood. Chris shook his head.

"That Chris is still a part of me; especially now that all my memories are unlocked. But I will not let it influence by judgment. I'll always regret some of the decisions he made but I don't blame myself for it either," Chris said looking Niall in the eye as if daring him to contradict. But Niall didn't.

"Good. Shall we proceed?" he asked gesturing towards the newly unlocked archway.

* * *

><p>The demon was about to plunge the knife in Junior's throat when suddenly the creature stiffened. Unexpectedly, all strength drained from his arms and the knife fell on the wooden floor with a clutter. Junior scampered away as the demon managed to turn around. What surprised the witches the most was the fact that there was a dark-lighter arrow stuck in his back. Judging from the angle and the position, it must have ruptured his black heart.<p>

"Andris? Why?" The demon managed to utter. The dark-lighter didn't bother to answer and within moments, the demon was vanquished. Everyone in the attic was shell-shocked. The dark-lighter was calm and confident as ever. He was one of the best-looking evil creatures they had ever seen, Wyatt and Prue reluctantly observed.

"You owe me now. We'll be in touch," he said to Junior before orbing off. Even in his stupefied state, Junior observed that there was something odd about the color of his orbs. Somehow, it didn't seem as dark as those of an ordinary dark-lighter.

* * *

><p>It was as if someone had cursed him to make bad choices. At least that's how it felt for Chris after next challenge. It involved choosing between saving Prue and saving Junior. Chris loved both his cousins but he decided to help Prue simply because Prue had been incapacitated by the demons that had attacked her. She was stuck inside a magic proof cage; very similar to the one Chris had been in when he had unified healing and telekinesis to developed remote healing. She was unable to teleport out of it using her cupid power. The only thing she could do was jump within the confines of the cage and try to dodge the fireballs thrown at her by her assailants. Junior, on the other hand was free to move. Granted, the sheer number of his aggressors was a problem but Chris trusted in Junior's ability to improvise working spells and vanquish his attackers. He was counting on the fact that Junior had survived the previous challenge.<p>

Unfortunately for Chris, things didn't turn out as well as he had hoped. He had watched his little cousin, no, his little brother bleed to death. He knew that this was all in his mind and that Junior was probably safe somewhere in the manor. Nevertheless, the vision hurt him deeply.

"I know what you're going to say…" Chris muttered as he sensed Niall appear behind him. The guide didn't say anything but was looking at Chris expectantly.

"I made the right choice and I don't have to justify it to you," Chris said before he turned towards the archway.

"Fair enough. But it seems like you need to justify it to your conscience," Chris was staring at the corridor beyond the arch. The floor was ablaze with red-hot bed of coal. It seems that Chris literally had to walk on fire to get to the other side.

"Aren't you my conscience?" Chris asked raising his eyebrows. Niall smirked and shook his head.

"Your conscience is too critical of your every action. I'm a part of you but not the emotionally charged part. I observe, I learn and I use that knowledge. I do not pass judgment," Niall said calmly.

"Then why do I have a bed of fire in my path if you didn't put it there?" Chris asked incredulously. Niall glanced at him rather condescendingly.

"You haven't convinced yourself that you made the right choice. We're inside your mind; remember? A part of yourself wants to punish you for failing to save Junior," Niall said calmly.

"And you believe I made the right choice?" Chris asked.

"I know you did. I was part of that decision process," Niall answered. Chris was a little confused.

"What do you mean? You influenced my decision? How?" He asked, a little suspicious.

"Think of what I said to you before? What am I? What did I say I do?" Niall said clearly wanting Chris to figure out his true nature but refusing to give a straight answer. Chris sighed in irritation.

"You said you observe, you learn and use that knowledge. You're rather cold and frigid without much of any emotions. You behave like an ideal reasoner. You seem to be almost as cocky and irritatingly patronizing as I've been told I am, sometimes. And you seem to know exactly what's going on in my mind," Chris began counting his observations on his fingers. Niall was nodding his agreement to each of the statements, even the ones that called him conceited ass. And then it came to Chris as a thunderclap.

"You're my intelligence, my wisdom. The prophecy mentions 'that what remains when mind and reason are stripped away'. You are the one it refers to as 'reason'," Chris said, astonished. Niall smiled and nodded affirmative.

"I'm the 'reason'. The 'mind' it refers to is nothing other than your conscience. I help you out of some pretty tight spots and your conscience protects you from depravity. But both of us are learned, acquired attributes. There is something more primal that has on countless occasions and will continue to help you on your quest," Niall said.

"What is it?" Chris asked. But looking at Niall's face, he knew he wasn't going to get an answer, at least, not at the moment.

"Let's get back to the problem at hand, shall we?" Niall completely sidestepped Chris's question. Chris knew Niall had the answer to his question and that meant deep down he did too. He just had to find it.

"So how do I get rid of this fire?" Chris asked his 'reasoner'.

"You made a decision that was based on the information you had at the moment. You do not have the knowledge of the future and it is humanly impossible to calculate the domino effect of your present actions. Having been travelled in time and being the one who altered the history, you know this better than anyone else," Niall told Chris what he already knew.

"I decided to help the one who needed my help the most. And when it comes down to it, that's all I can really do," Chris said agreeing with Niall. After all, this wasn't the first time when something had gone horribly wrong. He had plenty of memories from the dark future where he had screwed up and lived with the consequences. The fire had died down by now but it would still be distinctly painful to walk across the corridor. Chris glanced at Niall expectantly who shrugged in response.

"You're 'mind' can be mulishly stubborn sometimes. I guess this is the best you're going to achieve at the moment," Niall said before disappearing. Chris rolled his eyes and prepared to sprint across that heated floor.

* * *

><p>"What the hell happened? Did a dark-lighter just save you?" Wyatt exclaimed. Junior glanced at Wyatt with wide eyes.<p>

"That he did. There was something odd about the color of his orbs too. The demons called him Andris. So at least we have his name. We can do some research later and find out more about him and why he did what he did. At the moment, we need to concentrate on getting Chris out of this forced vision or at least help him somehow to complete it," Junior said taking charge once again. Wyatt wrinkled his nose as he sensed the smell of burning flesh. He glanced down at his brother and to his horror; there were burn marks on Chris's feet. Wyatt immediately proceeded to heal him while Junior helped.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous. I cannot choose between the two," Chris exclaimed. Niall was calm as ever.<p>

"All the challenges so far involved a clear choice. But life is not always that fair. Some times you have to make tough decisions, no matter how much it hurts you," Niall explained. Chris stared at him as he disappeared. The choice in front of him wasn't really a choice.

The room was slightly different than all the others Chris had been in so far. First of all the central wall was absent and so was the chasm near the circular wall. Which meant Chris had all the time he needed to make the choice and that He would see the consequences of his choice instantly. The situations in the left and right halves of the room were identical this time around. There was a gaping hole in the middle of each of the semicircle. Red-hot lava was bubbling inside the hole. Right above the two deathtraps, two of the people he loved the most were suspended mid air. On the left, he had Junior and on the right, he had Wyatt. Granted Wyatt was more powerful than Junior who, in turn, was cleverer than the twice blessed. But at the moment, both of them were equally screwed. They couldn't get themselves out; that much was certain. The biggest problem was the rope that suspended the two witch-lighters. A single rope passed over a pulley on each side and bound two of his brothers. There was a sharp blade attached to each of the pulley. If either of the pulleys was rotated beyond certain degree, the rope would be severed and either Wyatt or Junior would fall to an agonizing death. Which meant, if Chris save one, the other would die. This was sick and Chris felt a little ashamed that his mind would be capable of devising such a twisted game.

"You should ask each of them why you should save them. I think you'll get your answer," came a familiar voice from behind. Chris turned around in shock.

* * *

><p>"Dad, could you tell us exactly what happened when the Avatars interfered with your vision quest? We think that's what's happened to Chris. Somehow Gideon has him trapped in a new vision," Wyatt asked his father. Leo closed his eyes momentarily as he remembered the vision. He told them about how the Avatars showed him the graves of his family and convinced him that the only answer to this age-old battle was the utopia they were offering.<p>

"If they sent you back on their own, it doesn't really help us. I mean Gideon was expelled from the vision and even if he weren't, he would never have sent Chris back on his own volitions. Base on what I saw before I too was thrown out, I think Chris has to complete this quest. And since we don't know what's going on in there, there isn't much we can do except heal him," Junior observed. Wyatt didn't like their helpless situation but he didn't have any better ideas.

* * *

><p>"How did you get in here? I thought Niall blocked anyone from entering," Chris asked Niles, more curiously than suspiciously. For some reason he didn't think Niles was the bad guy Wyatt seemed to think he was. Niles gave him a sweet and rather mischievous smile.<p>

"Don't you get it? No amount of magic can separate me from you. I reside in every fiber of your being. I am what remains when mind and reason are stripped away. I am your instinct. It is my job to protect and guide you when no one else can. I'll be with you even when Niall is not. For all intents and purposes, I am… you," Niles said in a low and steady voice. Chris stared at the young man in front of him for long moments before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This made more sense than he thought it would.

"That's why I seem to like you and trust you intuitively. That explains a lot. But there's something that's still confusing for me. I can imagine meeting you and Niall 'the reasoner' in my mind but I met you in the real world. How's that possible? If you are a part of me, but one facet of my mind, how did you become a distinct physical entity?" Chris asked. Niles's face was grave.

"You know I can't tell you that. Future consequences," Niles said. Chris gave a bark of laughter.

"I know, I know. My instinct told me. Quite literally," He said finally. This brought a smile to Niles's face too.

"Let's get this over with, shall we? There is something odd about the Wyatt, don't you think?" Niles asked. Chris was thoughtful for a moment. Now that Niles pointed it out, he could see it. The Wyatt suspended from the ceiling had a distinctly accusatory expression on his face. His brother would never look at him like that. Chris nodded and walked towards Wyatt. He stood at the edge of the lava hole and observed his alleged brother.

"Tell me why should I save you and not Junior?" Chris asked in a soft voice so that Junior, on the other side of the room couldn't hear them. He wasn't sure if either of the two were supposed to be who they appeared. His mind sure had conjured one twisted game.

"Because I'm the twice blessed. I've saved your ass on countless occasions. By saving me, you save the future of the magical world. Take your pick," Wyatt answered. Chris was suspicious in the beginning but now he was certain. This wasn't Wyatt. His answer to Chris question was distinctly un-Wyatt-like. But he had to make sure that Junior was really supposed to be Junior. He walked to his cousin and asked him the same question.

"Why should I save you and not Wyatt?" Chris asked but this time, he felt a knot in his chest tighten. Junior raised his eyebrows.

"You shouldn't. You need to save Wyatt. He's part of the power of two. The future depends on you two surviving. You know that. You have to save him. And there is another thing you must know. I understand completely why you cannot save me. And I don't blame you. I could never blame you for it. I know that you will beat yourself up for this but I want you to know that I absolve you of any blame in this matter. Now go. Save Wy. Saving him saves the future, you know that," Junior said with a watery smile. This was more of a Junior-like response. Chris could practically hear Niall's observation at the back of his mind, 'none of these characters seem to realize that this is all in your mind. Interesting. Otherwise, technically, you are the one who conjured this scenario which means you _are_ responsible'. Chris ignored the reasoner's comment.

"I think Junior is who he's supposed to be but I think that's not supposed to be Wyatt in this vision," Chris said to Niles pointing towards the Wyatt imposter.

"Then the choice is clear. You have to save Junior," Niles said. Chris walked back towards henry Jr. when the Wyatt imposter began cursing loudly. This was further proof that that wasn't Wyatt. Chris stood at the edge of the lava hole and despite Junior's protest, tried to grab him. Unfortunately, the witch-lighter's suspended body was farther away than he had imagined and Chris almost lost his balance.

"Shit," Chris cursed as he felt he was about to fall in the boiling lava. Suddenly he felt a strong hand holding him by his shirt and tugging him back to safety.

"I got you," Niles said as Chris regained his footing. Chris couldn't imagine how many times so far in his life had his sharp instinct saved his life. Shrugging that thought away, he decided to try once again. This time, Niles held the waistband of his jeans and provided counter force. That way Chris was safely able to lean a little further and grab hold of Junior. Within moments Junior was safely on the ground and the Wyatt imposter was about to fall in the lava pit. Not surprisingly, the scene froze and Niall reappeared.

"So your instinct helped you did he?" the blond asked looking pointedly at Niles. Chris nodded.

"You were right. I know more about myself now. Thank you both for that," He answered. Niles smiled and assured Chris that it was not a problem and that he was just doing his job while Niall didn't acknowledge the gratitude in any way shape or form.

"It is time for you to return to the real world. Take care," Niall said as he opened the last door. The bright light beyond that last archway told Chris that he was about to awaken.

"Listen to reason," Niall said as Chris stepped through. May be he just imagined it but he was quite sure he heard Niles commenting, 'he'll always listen to his instinct before reason'.

* * *

><p>"He's coming around, once again," Wyatt exclaimed. Chris slowly opened his eyes and gave him a smile. Everyone in the attic gave a sigh of relief.<p>

"What happened?" Piper asked her youngest. She didn't like the fact that her baby had been in one ordeal after other and she had no idea what was going on.

"Let's just say that I got to know myself better. I needed it to be able to cope with my memories," Chris answered rather cryptically. There was a sudden crash and the attic window had shattered. Piper never got the chance to ask Chris for a detailed explanation. Several oddly shaped arrows rained in from the shattered window and hit Chris, Wyatt, Junior, Prue and Carver. The witches jumped into action and took cover. Surprisingly, the attackers had made a hasty retreat as soon as five of the witches were hit. Paige quickly moved to heal the wounds.

"None of these were meant to be fatal wounds. Look at the arrow heads they are wooden and not very sharp," What the hell does this mean?" Junior wondered as his mother healed the shallow wound on his arm.

"I don't know…" Chris managed to whisper before darkness clouded his vision.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Sixteenth chapter.<strong>

**I know, another cliffhanger. But I don't think this story is going to have more than two or three chapters left. The bit about Chris seeing Catherine will become clear before the story ends. **

**Believe it or not, the concept of personified instinct was the first thing I had thought of when I began writing this story. Niles was always supposed to be there. I kind of added Niall on the fly. If I had left any holes in the concept or made it confusing, please let me know through reviews or private messages. I'll try to fix it or elaborate in the next update. **

**Kindly read and review.**


	18. Taking Leave of Our Senses

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed and/or added me/this story to their favorites.

Wow! I must be posting this chapter in record time, despite the fact that this is, by far, one of the most difficult chapters I've written. It could be a little confusing at times. Any dialogue that is in _**bold-italics**_ is a telepathic conversation (either with Carver or using Dan's amulet). Any conversation that is _**bold-italic-underlined**_ is Wyatt and Chris's communication over their shared link. The conversation that is _italic-underlined_ is communication between Chris and Niles. It is entirely possible that this system was screwed up since when I uploaded this document to the fanfiction website, it took out all the underlines. I have put them back again but may have missed a few lines here and there.

This is supposed to be the penultimate chapter of this story arc. However, I was unable to add all the details I wanted to in it. As a result, I may have to split the next chapter in two if it grows too long. There still are a few revelations that must be made before 'The Catalyst' comes to close.

**Charmed Auranae****:** You are more or less correct in your conclusion. However you'll have to wait for the sequel to know exactly how it happens and how Niles gets to be a distinct physical entity.

**xxxDrSpencerReidxxx****:** In my mind, I have the second as well as the third arc of this story planned out. It just takes a long time for me to get it on the paper.

**lizardmomma****:** Thank you for the kind words.

**wazup8523257****:** I'm glad you liked it and I hope you like this chapter too.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Taking Leave of Our Senses<strong>

Chris was horrified to realize that he was not able to finish his sentence. His mouth moved but no sound came out of it. On top of that he seemed to have lost his vision as well.

"Chris! Junior! Answer me!" came Wyatt's unnerved voice. Chris could hear him but couldn't respond. He had correctly deduced that Wyatt was blind as well, just like him otherwise he would have seen his brother was unable to speak. He felt a momentary nudge at his mind when the twice blessed tried to sense him. He could also sense the relief his big brother felt as soon as he sensed his presence. At least this meant that their white-lighter senses and their sibling bond were intact.

"_**I'm here Wy. Just can't see or speak**_," Chris said over their link. At that moment Junior grabbed his hand. He guided Chris's hand first to his lips and then his ears. Chris surmised that Junior couldn't speak or hear but judging from the way he found Chris without stumbling or hesitation, apparently he could see. Junior was smart enough to realize that Chris couldn't see and began trying to heal his eyes. Within a few seconds they both realized that this was a futile exercise.

"_**Wonderful. I cannot speak out loud. Can you guys hear me telepathically?**_" Came Carver's voice in their mind. Everyone nodded affirmative.

"_**I know Wyatt cannot see or hear and Junior is mute and deaf. What about Prue? Is she OK?**_" Chris asked the telepath. He repeated the same message for Wyatt's benefit over their link. The limitation of Carver's telepathy was that He could talk to everyone individually or broadcast the message to everyone but those who were not gifted with telepathy could only respond to him individually if he kept the communication channel open. Carver didn't need to answer Chris's question as he heard Prue's voice.

"Guys, I can't hear anything. Junior, Wyatt, look at me. I'm talking to you all," She said irritated when the two appeared to be ignoring her. Unfortunately Chris and Carver were the only ones who heard her and only Carver could respond telepathically. Before he could respond to her, Wyatt had managed to find his way to his boyfriend using his white-lighter senses and had begun to check him over for injuries. Wyatt, Prue and the rest of the unaffected family began talking all at once. They all wanted an explanation about what had happened. Junior had moved to the book and was flipping through it, looking frantically for something. Piper was holding Chris at arm's length and was bombarding him with questions. Junior had apparently found something but without his voice he couldn't get anyone's attention to his discovery. All the wild hand-gestures he made proved useless, as Chris, the ever-observant one, was blind, and the rest were too busy panicking. The attic soon erupted into an unprecedented chaos.

"_**OK guys. This is ridiculous. Stop talking all at once and listen to me carefully,**_" Carver broadcast to everyone currently present in the attic. This caught everyone's attention. Before he could say anything further, however, Dan orbed in with Ella. It took him a moment to gather all his faculties. He was getting better at orbing and side-along orbing but it still made him a little nauseated afterwards.

"Guys, Ella's hurt," he said. Chris was startled. He began moving towards Dan's voice. He stumbled on one of the small stepping stools and almost fell on his face. He quickly regained his balance and rushed towards Ella. Dan guided Chris's hands to the wound on her back and the healing glow began to do its work. Within moments Ella was back to normal.

"Thanks Chris," she said shyly before planting a kiss on his left cheek. And for some inexplicable reason, Chris found himself blushing furiously.

"Could you heal my eyes too? I can't see anything," Ella said with a hint of panic in her voice. Chris shook his head, a gesture Ella couldn't see. He wanted to explain it to her that what ever was wrong with them, couldn't be healed by white-lighter magic. But of course, no words came out of his mouth. Just then Carver's telepathic voice broke through.

"_**OK. It appears that Chris cannot see or speak but can hear. Junior can see but can't speak or hear. Wyatt is mute and deaf. I can't speak out loud and Prue can't hear. Ella was apparently struck with a similar arrow and is now blind. The white-lighter healing is ineffective. This is all we know so far. Chris, Junior, do you guys have anything else to add?"**_ Carver transmitted to everyone in the attic. Junior rolled his eyes and made a dramatic gesture towards the entry he had found in the book.

"_**Junior believes that the crone is behind this**_," Carver, who was the closest to the book, was the first one who caught the glimpse of what Junior was showing. He broadcast the information to everyone.

"I thought mom and the aunts vanquished her years ago when she attacked me," Wyatt asked Junior who, in turn glanced at Carver. He wasn't proficient in lip reading and Wyatt was talking too fast. Naturally, he didn't understand a word he said.

"_**Sisters vanquished the crone**_," Carver provided helpfully. Junior glanced at the twice blessed as if he was a special kind of idiot. The gesture was lost on Wyatt, as he couldn't see it anyway. But Chris must have said something similar to that effect over their shared link because Wyatt seemed embarrassed the very next moment.

"_**Ask Junior to look for the monkey totem. Was it wooden?**_" Chris asked Wyatt over their link. Wyatt conveyed the query to Junior via Carver who nodded affirmative and further informed them that he agreed with Chris's conclusion. Carver conveyed the information back to Chris telepathically. Wyatt frowned, not understanding exactly what Junior was agreeing to. The twice blessed was mildly irritated that even after loosing the ability to see, speak or hear, his little brother and cousin's brains were perfectly in sync. The half elder was thoughtful for a moment.

"Guys, we need to figure out some way of communicating efficiently. I'm sure Gideon did this…" Wyatt began to speak and Carver relayed the information to Prue and Henry Jr. Junior gave him an incredulous look. But then he rolled his eyes at his own stupidity, as Wyatt couldn't see him. The twice blessed left his sentence unfinished as Chris's admonishing voice broke through their link.

"_**Ladies and gentlemen, Wyatt Halliwell, stator of the bloody obvious. Of course Gideon did this. Who else is there?**_" He asked in Wyatt's mind. Although Wyatt couldn't see him, he could imagine an irritated scowl on his baby brother's face. Chris was grouchier than usual. It was understandable considering that he was unable to look through the book, or even speak his mind without someone else's help. He thanked goodness that Junior was able to see, at least.

"_**Well, it could be Niles…**_" Wyatt began but was silenced by Chris's vehement protest over the link. Chris knew he couldn't reveal Nile's true nature without causing undesirable and unknown future consequences and without giving rise to many questions Wyatt was sure to have, had he known who Niles was. Chris didn't wish to open that particular can of worms at the moment. He decided to settle on expressing his utter trust in his _instinct_ that Niles was on their side. He could practically see the scowl on his big brother's face. Thankfully, Wyatt didn't argue.

"Enough with the secret conversation," Piper said irritated. Looking at the expression on her son's faces, she was certain that they were talking to each other. She always found this particular ability they had to be extremely annoying. To make things worse, Wyatt, who could speak, didn't hear her and Chris, who heard her, couldn't speak. But Chris must have prompted his big brother because the next moment, Wyatt turned towards his mother's voice before speaking.

"Mom, it's nothing. Chris was pointing out that every one knows that Gideon was behind it and that for some inexplicable reason he trusts Niles," Wyatt added with slight bitterness.

"_**Anyway, we can do this. You can be my ears and I'll speak for both of us,**_" Wyatt proposed.

"_**What do you mean? You expect me to give you live subtitles to everything that's said?**_" Chris asked incredulously. Wyatt responded affirmative.

"_**That's not going to work, Wy. How am I supposed to keep track of the conversation while repeating it back to you? I'm good at multitasking but this is ridiculous. Look, mom's been saying something and I've already missed half of what she said while talking to you,**_" Chris responded.

"_**You don't need to forward each and every word. Just cliff notes versions with some comments about what's going on. Just try. How'd we know if it works without trying? Isn't that what you keep preaching to me?**_" Wyatt urged. Chris reluctantly agreed.

"_**Sound of Junior flipping the pages of the book. Mom seems irritated. Aunt Paige seems to have convinced her that our link is a blessing in our current predicament,**_" Chris offered. Wyatt smiled.

"Aunt Paige is right mom. We can be each other's mouth and ears," Wyatt told his mom. Piper was surprised.

"You heard what Paige said?" she asked hopefully, thinking her son's hearing impairment was wearing off.

"No. But Chrissie did and told me," Wyatt said. Understanding dawned on Piper's face and she smiled.

"_**Anyway, Wyatt's right. We need an efficient mode to communicate… Demons! **_" Carver screamed that last word in everyone's mind. Everyone who could see jumped into action. About half a dozen upper level demons had flamed in the attic. Gideon was truly getting desperate. One fireball was heading towards Ella. She was standing close to Wyatt.

"_**Wyatt, shield!**_" Carver's words slammed into his mind and he erected his shield immediately. Ella was engulfed in the blue bubble due to her proximity. Sensing her presence, Wyatt pulled her closer.

"_**Chris! Where are you?**_" Wyatt yelled over the link. Chris was nowhere near Wyatt and didn't respond. He didn't want his brother to do anything stupid while trying to move closer to him.

"Chris! Behind you!" Prue yelled as she kicked one of the demons towards the podium with the book. Junior was waiting there with an atheme ready. As soon as the demon came close enough, Junior plunged the atheme into the demon's back and the creature was vanquished. Hearing Prue's warning, Chris ducked and closely avoided an energy ball.

"_**Chris, your power…**_" he heard Carver's telepathic request.

"_**Tap in. Don't ask**_," Chris responded as he scrambled behind a couch. He hated being so helpless in a fight but didn't exactly have a choice. He felt Carver's gentle presence at the periphery of his magical core before he heard the crackling of electricity. The telepath had successfully tapped into his electrokinesis and judging from the agonized cries, had fried at least two demons. In the mean while, the sisters had vanquished the remaining intruders. Nobody realized that they were missing a demon until they heard a struggle behind aunt Perl's sofa. The last remaining demon rose to his feet, holding an atheme at Chris's throat.

"Chris! No! Let him go you son of a bitch," Piper hissed. Wyatt began to panic as he couldn't see or hear what was going on but he could sense his brother's distress over their link. To everyone's surprise, the tip of a fully assembled Equalizer burst out from the demon's chest and he gave an agonizing cry before turning into ashes. Chris smiled and walked out from behind the sofa. Niles stood behind him, holding the sword casually in one hand.

"Where did you come from? And how can you use Chris's sword?" Piper asked the newcomer suspiciously.

"_**Who's it?**_" Wyatt asked his brother.

"_**Niles. He saved my life, again,**_" Chris answered. Wyatt was about to ask what Chris meant by 'again' but his little brother had shushed him over the link. Wyatt scowled but kept quiet. Junior was observing Niles curiously. Obviously, he had drawn some conclusions of his own based on the fact that Niles had used the Equalizer. No ordinary witch, white-lighter or hybrid could use a broken sword. As far as he knew before today, Chris was the only one. But he didn't give any outward indication of his thought process.

"Let's just say that I sensed Chris was in danger and came by to help. As for the fact that I can use his sword, I did it with his permission," Niles said and Chris nodded with a smile. The fact that Niles could use the Equalizer was further proof that the revelation he'd had during his vision was true.

"When did he give you his permission? And I thought only Catalysts with great willpower could assemble the sword. Are you a Catalyst from the future?" Paige asked.

"I can't tell you that. Future consequences," Niles said almost spontaneously. Piper scowled at him while Paige rolled her eyes.

"Haven't we heard it before?" Phoebe asked rhetorically.

"_You can hear me_," Niles's voice broke into Chris's mind. It was not a question; it was a statement. Chris was startled momentarily. But then he understood. Niles was his instinct. Of course he could hear him.

"_OK. I know you've been hit with the wooden arrowhead made of the wood from the monkey totem. You can't see or speak but we can fix your sight. Well, sort of. I can be your eyes. Unlike your link with Wyatt, our link is far deeper. I can talk to you over it as well as share all my senses. You can literally see through my eyes. Let's try it,_" Niles continued. Suddenly, Chris's mind flooded with the visions of the attic. He caught a glimpse of Junior, who was watching him and Niles curiously. His mother and the aunts were exchanging questioning glances, as they had no idea about Niles's true identity or what he was doing here. It was distinctly uncomfortable, as he didn't seem to have any control over Niles's movements. He couldn't dictate where to look.

"_Sorry. You don't tell your instinct where to look. Your instinct tells you where to look_," Niles said as if reading his thought. Chris wasn't sure that he didn't. Were his thoughts even his own? Or does Niles or Niall or some other facet of his own mind controlled them? Chris was wondering.

"_Don't over-think it_," Niles said again.

"You still haven't answered our questions," Phoebe prompted.

"And I'm not going to," Niles responded. Piper scowled at him again.

"Alright, we need to focus on the most urgent problems. Those among us who are blind are the most vulnerable in case of a demon attack. Between Wyatt, Chris and their bond, they have the ability to speak and hear. But not see. But Carver can see and hear and talk to both of them telepathically. Which means if these three team up, they have all senses among themselves. With Carver's telepathy, he can tap into any of their powers. So with a little luck and practice, they will form a formidable team. The only one remains is Ella. But we can protect her," Paige was the one to take charge. Carver broadcasted the cliff notes version of her speech to those who couldn't hear.

"No! Carv needs to go to the magic school," Wyatt protested.

"_**Carv can speak for himself**_," Carver broadcast a little irritated.

"He still hasn't mastered tapping into…" Wyatt continued, as if he didn't hear Carver's comment. Chris, knowing where this conversation was headed, decided to interject.

"_**You might want to back down Wy. Carv sounds pissed. And your over-protectiveness is unjustified here. Carv just tapped into me and fried at least two demons with my electrokinesis. I believe he can handle himself while he has us as the power sources,**_" Chris tried to reason with his big brother. But Wyatt wasn't in the mood to listen.

"That doesn't matter. He got lucky this time. What if it doesn't work next time? You don't seriously believe he's capable of…" Wyatt began again, not realizing he was speaking aloud instead of to just Chris over their link.

"_**Sound of ominous organ music indicating trouble ahead,**_" Chris commented dryly. He knew Carver had heard his brother and was about to blow the gasket.

"_**Did you just call me a mediocre witch? And think hard before you answer, Wyatt Matthew Halliwell. Because if I don't like your answer, you'll be sleeping on the couch for a very long time,**_" Carver growled telepathically. The tone was enough to give Wyatt a pause.

"All I'm saying is that you need protection…" Wyatt began to make his case again.

"_**Ughh! Enough with the over-protectiveness. How many times have I told you that you cannot protect me all the time? I love you Wyatt but you're grating on my last nerve. You need to let me make my own decisions,**_" Carver tried to reason with his boyfriend. Later, Carver would agree that Wyatt was just acting out of love but at the moment, he was pissed beyond reason. Wyatt had inherited his over-protectiveness from his mom and his stubbornness from his dad. He wasn't about to give up.

"I'm putting my foot down on this one. You have to…" Wyatt began again.

"_**You know what, I cannot even talk to you when you get like this,**_" Carver said before storming out of the attic. Wyatt, not realizing his boyfriend had already left, continued speaking.

"_**Sound of door slamming followed by sound of angry footsteps receding**_," Chris provided helpfully.

"_**Did he just leave?**_" Wyatt sounded irritated.

"_**Can you blame him?**_" Chris asked rhetorically. Wyatt tried to go after him but stumbled due to his lack of sight.

"_**You might want to give him some space, Wy. He was royally pissed and needs some time to cool down,**_" Chris suggested. Although his tone told Wyatt that it wasn't exactly a suggestion. Prue offered to go downstairs and help Carver just in case another demon attacked. Wyatt gave her a grateful smile.

Ella wasn't too excited about the idea of being protected by others but her big brother informed her that she didn't really have a choice. In return, Ella pointed out to Dan that he hadn't mastered all of his elder powers yet and didn't have his demonic powers anymore. He could tap into someone else's powers using the amulet but he'd been having trouble with that too. In the end it was decided, much to Dan's dismay, that he too needed protection.

"Here, keep this notepad handy. That's what I used when the crone took my speech," Paige said to her son. Of course, he wasn't able to hear but he understood what she was saying. He mouthed 'Thanks mom'.

* * *

><p>And just then another wave of demons attacked. This time it was a group of about eight upper level demons, four dark-lighters and two brute demons. The battle wouldn't have been that tough if more than half of the next generation of witches was not incapacitated. The sisters quickly stepped in to protect their children. As the first order of business, Piper began blasting the dark-lighters. Just like a white-lighter, they weren't killed by molecular acceleration, only blown to orbs. But it took them a moment to reform and gave the witches much needed time to cast Chris's spell. Unfortunately, they had only heard Chris use it once or twice. The sisters couldn't remember the wording.<p>

"Four dark-lighters," Phoebe yelled. Chris heard her but couldn't cast the spell without his voice. He prompted Wyatt over their link to cast the spell. Seeing as the twice blessed was about to get rid of the dark-lighters, one of the brute demons charged on him. However, first thing Wyatt had done as soon as the attack began was to erect his shield. The lowlife couldn't get through it. He turned on Chris. Niles jumped into action and vanquished the creature with one well-executed swipe of the Equalizer.

"_**Chris, get inside the shield!**_" Wyatt yelled at his brother over the link after casting the dark-lighter vanquishing spell.

"_**Alright, Alright. You don't have to yell**_," Chris began moving towards his brother, guided by his white-lighter senses. Unable to see what lay in the path, Chris was moving straight towards one of the upper level demons. The creature smiled evilly and fired up a fireball. He threw it as the half elder inched closer and closer to his death. Niles was alert, however and he tackled Chris out of harm's way.

"Stay down," Niles hissed. He quickly got to his feet and dispatched the demon with a quick stab of the sword. Three more dark-lighters orbed in at that moment and the witches were getting overwhelmed. Thankfully, Carver and Prue had just entered the attic after hearing the commotion from downstairs. Without bothering to ask this time, the telepath tapped into Chris and fried the dark-lighters with electrokinesis. By that time, the sisters and Junior had vanquished all the remaining upper level demons. Seeing an opening, Niles helped Chris to his feet and guided him to his brother. Chris entered the blue shield bubble effortlessly. Wyatt began checking Chris for injuries.

"_**I'm OK, Wyatt. Niles healed me,**_" Chris answered. Wyatt sighed in relief.

"_**This is getting ridiculous. We can't keep fighting like this,**_" Carver said telepathically. Junior wiped the sweat from his brow and agreed with him wholeheartedly.

"We should go to the magic school. The semester has ended and there are hardly any students left. Those who haven't left for home for the vacations; we can send them to Billie's house. I'm sure she won't mind," Paige suggested.

"Gideon was the headmaster of the school for years. If anyone can breach its defenses, he can," Phoebe pointed out the flaw in Paige's plan.

"We've added quite a few new protection spells to the defenses of the school. Gideon might be able to break in eventually but it will at least buy us some time. Over here, any Tom, Dick and Harry can shimmer in," Paige made her case.

"Do demons even have names like Tom, Dick and Harry?" Phoebe said wrinkling her nose.

"So not the point Phoebs. But I agree with Paige. It will take longer for him to breach the school's defenses. Here, he can just drop in," Piper said taking her youngest sister's side. Phoebe shrugged but agreed.

* * *

><p>After sending the only two students that remained at the school to Billie's place, The Halliwells set up the camp at the school. The students were not too happy about being shipped off to one of their teacher's home but if Gideon did bring the battle to the school, they would be safer at the Campbell-Jenkins residence. Currently, Chris, Wyatt, Junior and Carver had gathered in the library to research on the monkey totem and ways to break its magic. Junior and Niles were scanning the books while Carver was training Dan in using his amulet to tap into other's powers. This gave Wyatt a chance to talk to his baby brother.<p>

"_**Hey Kitten, how're you holding up,**_" he asked. Chris shrugged but that gesture was useless with Wyatt. At length, he answered over his link.

"_**As well as can be expected**_," Chris said turning away from his brother.

"_**Something else is bothering you. I can sense it,**_" Wyatt said pressing further.

"_**Its nothing, Wy. Don't worry about it,**_" Chris said with a reassuring smile. But that wasn't going to work on Wyatt, for one reason, his brother wasn't able to see the expression and for another, their link was telling Wyatt exactly how he was feeling.

"_**Kitten, talk to me. Is it about Catherine?**_" Wyatt asked bluntly. Chris was silent for a moment.

"_**I broke up with her a couple of days ago,**_" he said after long moments. He could feel his brother's reaction over the link and the twice blessed wasn't surprised.

"_**Well, I know you hadn't been on a date with her for some time but I thought it was because of the recent chaos that you didn't get a chance to go out,**_" Wyatt said curiously.

"_**It's partially that but then I realized that despite not seeing her in days, I didn't exactly miss her. We had some fun time together but I didn't think the relationship was growing. So I talked to her about how I felt and she agreed. We decided to part ways,**_" Chris said.

"_**Do you miss her now?**_" Wyatt asked.

"_**I'm not sure. I didn't think I did but just as I came out of the first vision, I saw her face for a moment before Gideon threw me back in another vision,**_" Chris answered as he sat down on a sofa besides his big brother.

"_**I heard you whispered her name before you were pulled back in the vision. I was going to ask you about it but didn't get a chance. What do you think it means?**_" Wyatt asked.

"_**I honestly don't know. I don't think I have feelings for her. But I'm not entirely sure why I saw her face,**_" Chris said shrugging.

"_**I'd have expected you to see Ella,**_" Wyatt muttered under his breath but Chris's hearing was fine and he heard his brother.

"_**What?**_" the half elder squeaked over the link and quickly covered his mouth in embarrassment as if the undignified sound had actually left his lips.

"_**Honestly, kitten, how blind can you be? Think of how you felt today when you heard she was hurt. Think of your reaction every time she's in danger. Think of how you smile for no reason when she's around. Can you honestly tell me that you have no feelings for her? I know she has feelings for you,**_" Wyatt said. Chris realized he was furiously blushing by now. Thankfully, his brother couldn't see it. Suddenly the last part of Wyatt's statement registered in his brain.

"_**What did you say?**_" Chris exclaimed once again. But this time, Niles's voice rang through his had.

"_I have given you several hints regarding your feelings for her but you don't listen to me,_" his instinct told him.

"_**Oh, do keep quiet!**_" Chris meant it for Niles only but he accidently transmitted the message to his brother.

"_**I'm telling the truth. Dan happened to mention it to me in passing but I'm not blind, kitten. I can recognize romantic feelings when I see them. If you don't believe me, ask Reese. He once almost hit you with his magic just to make you see the light,**_" Wyatt said with a smirk.

"_**Reese did what? I'm going to kick his meddling ass…**_" Chris began seething but Wyatt interrupted.

"_**That's your takeaway from this conversation? You need to act, baby brother. Ella's a wonderful girl and she likes you but she won't wait for you forever,**_" Wyatt said with a hint of warning. Chris was thoughtful for a moment before he nodded.

"_**I'll talk to her, but what about you? Have you talked to Carv after acting like a fool? Sometimes I'm afraid that he'll come to his senses and dump your sorry ass,**_" Chris asked over the link.

"_**He's still mad at me. But I'm glad that he agreed to come to magic school with everyone,**_" Wyatt responded a bit sadly.

"_**It was never about going to magic school, Wyatt. He was upset because apparently you don't trust he's capable of making his own decision. He's a smart guy. He knows the limitations of his powers and he knows when to ask for help. You need to trust him,**_" Chris said.

"_**But I do trust him…**_" Wyatt said but was interrupted by Chris.

"_**But you fail to show it. I know you overreacted because you love him and he knows it too. But you cannot dictate his actions just because you're together. He's a smart, and independent witch, capable of making his own decisions. You need to respect that,**_" Chris said in a soothing voice. Wyatt nodded.

"_**You're right. I'll try and talk to him. But I'm not sure if he'll listen to me,**_" Wyatt said dejectedly.

"_**He loves you. I'm sure he wants to work this out with you,**_" Chris reassured his big brother.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>The monkey totem turned into a real monkey and stole the sister's senses. And the crone used aunt Phoebe's hearing to spy on them, Aunt Piper's vision and mom's voice to get close to Wy. This time around, Gideon wanted to infect a lot more people so Chris and I believe that he broke the totem and used the wood, which still had the sense stealing magic, to craft arrows that hit us. The good news is that since the transformation into real monkey and back is impossible, I reasonably believe that Gideon doesn't have our senses. In short, he cannot spy on us. The bad news is that last time, vanquishing the crone fixed the sister's senses, as she was the one who had them. This time around, I have no idea how to get them back,<strong>_" Junior summarized his and Chris's theory via Carver. Although he hadn't talked to Chris about all the details, the half elder had agreed with him regarding the origin of the wooden arrowheads. Junior knew how Chris's brain worked and was sure that he would agree with Junior's conclusions.

"What I want to know first is that why did Chris, Wyatt and Junior lost two senses while Carver, Prue and Ella lost only one each? Did Gideon made two different sets of arrows and made sure that right people get hit with right arrows?" Paige asked while filling up a vial of a general purpose vanquishing potion. The question had been bugging her ever since all this began.

"It could be that. Wyatt, Junior and Chris are three of the strongest witches among the next generation. And they have a tight bond. Chris and Wyatt with their weird neural network thing and Chris and Junior are the smartest. Even with their senses lost, their brains work in harmony. Either Gideon was trying to make sure that these three were hit the worst or it could simply be a reaction to their strongest magic. We really won't know for sure. But I seriously doubt if it will affect the solution in any way," Leo said after a long time. With all the chaos at the manor, Piper had begged him to stay at the magic school with Henry Sr. and Victor. Leo wasn't too happy about the fact but had complied nevertheless.

"_**OK. So where do we begin?**_" Carver asked after transmitting the cliff notes version of Leo's theory to all the present witches with hearing impairment. At that moment, Niles rushed towards where Chris and Wyatt were sitting and presumably talking over their link. Despite Leo's observation that he was the closest to his brothers among their generation, Junior felt a pang of envy that he was not able to communicate with the two so effortlessly. The sisters, who had just finished a batch of their strongest potions, joined in.

"_**The spell work involved cursing an object or creating a weapon like this monkey totem involves powerful negative emotions. The magic is rooted in emotions such as hate, envy, etc. I've been researching the origin of the totem and as it turns out, the sorcerer who created the monkey and subsequently turned it into this totem after it turned on its master, was a nasty piece of shit. He was cruel and harsh. Which means that the magic is rooted primarily in hate. So undoing it will involve some kind of magic that is rooted in love,**_" Junior informed the sisters, again via Carver. Niles was guiding Chris and Wyatt towards the podium where Junior was standing. Wyatt seemed reluctant to accept assistance from Niles but apparently Chris had convinced him.

"What did we miss?" Niles asked on Chris's behalf. Junior was getting better at reading lips by now and correctly surmised Niles's question.

"_**Just that I think some love based magic is required to break the spell,**_" Carver answered telepathically without waiting for Junior's response.

"Can we talk?" Wyatt asked his boyfriend hopefully.

"_**Not now, Wyatt. We need to figure this out and Junior and Chris are going to need me for communication. Believe it or not, I'm actually marginally useful here,**_" Carver said bitterly.

"Carv, please?" Wyatt pleaded. Junior put a hand on Carver's shoulder and gestured towards the sofa near the far end of the room indicating that they could manage for a few minutes without him. Carver was hesitant for a moment but then grabbed Wyatt's hand and lead him to the couch. They didn't actually need to go there to get privacy as all their conversation could have happened telepathically. But Carver and Wyatt, both preferred to be away from curious and awkward gazes of their family.

* * *

><p>"Have you told him?" Reese asked Ella who quickly turned away from the half cupid. She was blushing for sure and yet decided to play ignorant.<p>

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said. Despite being blind at the moment, she could feel Reese's piercing gaze fixed on her. If she could see, it would have been near impossible to avoid eye contact with him.

"I'm a cupid, remember? You cannot fool me. I've seen the way you act around Chris. And he cares about you too. I just want to help you two see it. I wish you two just admit your feelings for each other," Reese said as he gently took Ella's chin and turned her to face him. She seemed torn. She wasn't sure if she wanted to accept Reese's help or lash out at him and tell him to mind his own business. In the end, her pride won over.

"Reese Christopher Halliwell, mind your own business. I'm not one of your pathetic charges so back off," she hissed angrily. Reese smiled.

"You are actually," Reese said. Ella growled menacingly.

"I didn't mean pathetic. You're one of the strongest half dragons I know. Actually, you're the only half dragon I know but that's beside the point," Reese began rambling. Ella scowled angrily.

"What I meant to say that you're my charge. You both are," he informed her smiling. Ella's expression turned from angry to incredulous within moments. The silence that stretched between them for long moments while Ella digested this new information.

"You're serious," she said at long last.

"Yes, I am…." Reese began but the rest of his sentence froze in his throat as Ella lunged forward and grabbed his collar. She almost strangled him before pulling him closer.

"Listen to me carefully you little twerp. I don't want Chris to like me just because you hit him with your little pink arrow. I want him to like me for who I am. If I even suspect that you used your magic to make him fall for me, I will hunt you down with your own bow and arrow. By the time I'm done with you, you will be very sorry that you were born a man. I will…" Ella would have continued with her threats but Reese managed to interject.

"I'd never do that. I don't actually… have a bow and arrow, you know… That's just a myth. I… do have some magic that helps people… recognize their true feelings. But I cannot… create… romantic feelings where there are none. All I can do is help Chris understand his feelings. Rest is up to you two," the half cupid said gasping for air. By the end of his speech, Ella had let him go. Reese cast a quick spell to repair the ripped collar and broken buttons. He buttoned up his shirt before continuing.

"Trust me. He likes you. He may even be in love with you and just doesn't know it," he reassured the half dragon.

"And what about that bimbo he's dating?" Ella asked angrily.

"He's already dumped her. He doesn't think anyone knows about her but no one can hide such things from a cupid. Trust me, there was no chemistry between them and he knows it," Reese informed Ella. She seemed a bit relaxed hearing this development.

"Saved me the trouble of vanquishing her. I think she was a demon…" Ella began but Reese interrupted.

"I get that you don't like her but that doesn't make her a demon. You need to control that volatile dragon temper of yours," Reese gently admonished her. Ella rolled her eyes.

"Dan says the same thing but I can't help but think that something is very odd with her," Ella was not willing to give up.

"Why are we talking about Chris's ex when we should be talking about how to get the two of you together? Come on. We need a strategy," Reese said as he dragged her towards a sofa and the two continued talking.

* * *

><p>"<span><em>Please show me where Dan is,<em>" Chris said to Niles in his mind. His instinct complied and Chris could see Dan sitting in a chair near the bookshelf. Guided by Niles's vision, Chris navigated his way towards the half demon. Every one who was paying attention was wondering how Chris managed to avoid stumbling at the coffee table. Chris stood in front of Dan and ran a finger around his neck and then pointed at his chest. The half demon realized that Chris was asking to borrow his amulet. Dan raised his eyebrows in confusion but removed the amulet from his person and handed it over. Chris promptly put it on. He was thoughtful for a moment.

"Just think of the person you want to communicate with, and speak in your mind as if you're talking to them. It takes a lot of practice to talk to multiple people at the same time like Carv does. I haven't managed to do it yet. But talking to a single person is simple enough," Dan explained. Chris nodded in understanding. Everyone watching this interaction assumed that Chris had some theory to share with everyone and while Carver was busy talking to Wyatt, the amulet would be the best way to communicate.

"_Show me where Ella is, please,_" Chris demanded of his instinct. Niles complied. It was a bit weird for Chris to see himself walking away through Niles's eyes. Comprehension dawned on Dan and he smiled at Chris fondly.

"**_Could we talk in private please?_**" Chris asked Ella telepathically while shooing away his little cousin. Reese's face brightened with excitement. He quickly guided Chris to the sofa and rushed away. Chris sat down besides Ella.

* * *

><p>"Are you seriously telling me that the whole sleeping beauty deal is real? Because I'm not buying it," Paige said to her brother in law who was professing the power of love.<p>

"Do not underestimate the power of love. Love isn't the answer to every curse but it certainly helps while trying to break a curse that is routed in hate like this one. Think of any curse like a stonewall blocking your way. In some cases, like Reese's blindness, we find a way around that wall. In some cases, like Chris's wound when Gideon stabbed him in the vision, we brute force our way through using a powerful spell. In some cases, however, the only way forward is by scaling the proverbial wall. Ordinarily, such task would be near impossible. But if the curse is routed in hate, true love can give you a boost. Kind of like a ladder to help you jump over the wall. It's worth a try, at least. Don't you think? What do we have to loose?" Coop asked the sisters.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry. I acted like a jackass. You have to know that I trust you, don't you? I never meant to insult you or treat you like you belong to me, or something. I was just worried about you," Wyatt said with an earnest expression on his face. Carver was silent for a moment. Wyatt was waiting anxiously for a reaction, any reaction. At length, Carver took Wyatt's hand in his own before he spoke.<p>

"_**Wy, I am yours. And you're mine. Never doubt that. Ever since the source abducted me, you've been blaming yourself for letting it happen. I've told you time and time again that it wasn't your fault but it hasn't helped with your over-protective behavior. And I know you were worried about me. But that doesn't mean you can treat me like property. I'm your boyfriend and you do have the right to be demanding of me. But you need to consider my wishes as well. What hurt me the most was the fact that you don't trust in me…**_" Carver's telepathic argument was interrupted by Wyatt's proclamation that he did trust Carver and that suggesting otherwise was ludicrous.

"_**Let me rephrase that. You do trust me to be on your side but you don't have trust in my abilities as a witch. Wyatt, I'm well aware that I'm nowhere near as powerful as you are but that doesn't mean I'm an invalid. I know the limits of my powers and I know when to ask for help. Believe me, if I feel that I'm out of my depth, you'll be the first person I ask for help. Do you understand why I got angry? You said 'I got lucky' when I vanquished those demons. You told Chris in no uncertain terms that you didn't believe I was capable of protecting my family or myself. You made me sound pathetic and helpless,**_" Carver said in a soft yet firm voice. Wyatt winced at the last statement. It was clear to the twice blessed that his boyfriend was trying his best not to let his voice break.

"I'm sorry. I know I hurt you. But you have to trust me that I never intended to. I promise that it will never happen again. I just don't want to loose you," Wyatt said with unshed tears in his eyes. Carver rolled his eyes.

"_**Wyatt, you're not going to loose me. Every couple fights and I'm certain this won't be our last fight. Because I'm sure despite your promise, you will be back to your over-protective demanding self…**_" Carver's reassurance was interrupted by Wyatt.

"I never promised not to be protective of you. That's something that cannot be changed. I promised not to insult or hurt you like I did today," Wyatt clarified. Carver scoffed.

"_**I knew it wouldn't be that easy to get you to loose your over-protectiveness. Nevertheless, as long as you understand the fine line between over-protective and possessive, we'll be fine,**_" Carver said shrugging.

"Does that mean you've forgiven me?" Wyatt said hopefully.

"_**Wyatt, I had forgiven you as soon as you asked for it. And besides, you're the strongest man I know. I don't want to see that pitiful expression on your face ever again,**_" Carver said kindly. Wyatt smiled, realizing how lucky he was to have someone like Carver in his life.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Hey. How're you holding up?<strong>_" Chris asked a bit shyly. He was still seeing Ella through Niles's eyes; who was some thirty feet away.

"I'm alright… I didn't know you're a telepath…" She said.

"_**I'm not. I borrowed Dan's amulet because I wanted to talk to you,**_" Chris said a bit hesitantly. Ella was blushing furiously by now. She was sure that Chris couldn't see her because of the curse. Of course, Niles's vision had told Chris about the redness in her cheeks. Wyatt was right. She did like him apparently. Chris mentally berated himself for not noticing it before. At that moment, Niles's voice rang through his head, informing him that he's not been aware of his own feelings so there was no wonder he hadn't recognized her feelings. Chris automatically hissed at Niles to keep quiet and to keep his nose out of Chris's romantic life. But then he quickly realized how stupid the idea was. Niles was his instinct. He was never going to be able to keep him out of anything. So for the time being, he decided to focus on his conversation with Ella.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ella asked feigning an indifferent tone. She was reasonably sure that she had pulled off a casual demeanor, as Chris wasn't able to see her just like she wasn't able to see him.

"_**Us,**_" the word came out of Chris's mouth without engaging his brain in the process. He could see Ella stiffen through Niles and wanted to suck the word right back in. But as they say, you cannot recall a spoken word just like you cannot recall a speeding arrow.

"Us?" Ella repeated slowly. She had told only two people about her crush on Chris, her brother Dan and the meddling half cupid. Reese was sitting with her before Chris showed up and clearly hadn't had a chance to tell Chris anything. That only left Dan. She was going to kill him.

"_**I was talking to Wyatt and he told me…**_" Chris's sentence was cut short by Ella's shriek.

"Wyatt knows?" She mentally added Wyatt to the list of people to be murdered. Chris was confused for a moment.

"_**Of course he knows. He was the one who made me realize. Wyatt could be an idiot sometimes but he was right about this. Look. I like you. I think I have for a long time. I was just too stupid to realize it. And I was hoping that you like me enough to give me a chance. Would you consider going out with me? I mean of course, we probably have to vanquish Gideon first if we're to have any semblance of a normal date. That is of course if you said yes. Which I'm hoping you would…**_" It was so unlike Chris to ramble away like that. Ella realized that she was having that effect on him. She couldn't see his face but she was sure that his usual cool and composed façade was gone. She imagined the expression on his face to be that of a teenage schoolboy, who had just managed to gather the nerve to ask a girl of his dreams on a date. In reality she wasn't too far off. The unconcealed vulnerability he was showing in his voice was so endearing, Ella realized that she was falling for him all over again. Without thinking, she grabbed his hands, an act that ended his rambling abruptly.

"I'd like that," she said softly. A genuine smile of relief broke out on the half elder's face. However, before he could say anything else, the entire floor of the library trembled as if in an earthquake.

* * *

><p>"Wyatt! Chris!" Piper yelled as she felt the tremors unbalanced the tall bookshelves, worried for her currently incapacitated sons. She was sure Gideon was at the door and would break in any moment to hurt her family. They didn't get much of a chance to gather the troops as the first wave of the demons flamed in. Gideon had successfully breached the school's defenses without giving them any inkling of his progress. The witches were caught by surprise.<p>

"_**Wyatt, shield!**_" Carver warned his boyfriend who, promptly enveloped himself and Carver in the protective blue bubble. He could feel the barrage of fireballs that hit the shield within a fraction of a second after it was up. If only he could ensure that his little brother was somewhere safe.

Niles had orbed near Chris and Ella as soon as he felt the first tremor. He reached there just in the nick of time as three upper level demons were standing in front of the half elder, with fireballs ready at hand. He threw his hand away from his body and two of the demons were thrown away by the force of his telekinesis. The third one was about to throw his fireball when Piper's blasting power hit him in the shoulder. It wasn't enough to vanquish him but his right arm along with the fireball he was about to throw were obliterated.

"_We need to act, now_," Niles warned Chris. The half elder nodded.

"_**Ella, please stay down**_," Chris begged telepathically before standing up to fight. He was still seeing through Niles's eyes. Within moments he let loose his elder bolts and instantly vanquished the three demons that were closest to them. Paige, Phoebe and Prue had moved towards Wyatt and Carver to assist them while Piper, Dan, Junior and Reese rushed towards Chris and Ella.

"Ahhh!" a pained gasp escaped Ella's mouth as a demon plunged an atheme in her heart. Chris was right in front of her but unfortunately Niles was looking at a couple of dark-lighters who were aiming at them and had missed Ella's attacker. Hearing her pained cry, Niles turned around. Chris gasped in horror as the demon tried to drag Ella's limp body away. Chris and Niles were standing back-to-back now and the two let loos a torrent of electricity through their fingers. All the witches ducked behind some kind of wooden furniture in order to avoid getting zapped. Within moments, every demon and dark-lighter in the path of the electricity was vanquished.

Chris gasped soundlessly as he dropped to his knees by her side. He immediately began trying to heal her. Niles was the first one to realize that she wasn't breathing. He informed Chris of the fact softly.

Chris was inconsolable. He'd only just recognized his feelings for her. He couldn't already loose her. His brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to heal her. Paige was about to stop him, knowing it was a futile attempt but Coop stopped her. He knew Chris had to come to terms with the reality himself. No one realized when Chris's eyes turned blood red.

"Chris no!" Niles yelled. He rushed closer to the half elder but it was too late. Suddenly angry looking red lines appeared all over his body. It was as if every blood vessel in his body was trying to burst out of his skin. Before anyone could realize what was happening, Chris's hands began to glow a deep golden hue. Ella's wound began to heal itself and within moments, she was completely healed. The part dragon gasped as she sat up.

"What have you done?" Niles whispered in horror.

"I didn't think it was possible without the collective powers of the Avatars. He just brought Ella back from dead. Isn't that a good thing?" Phoebe asked Niles frowning. That statement seemed to bring the future boy out of his reverie.

"All of you need to leave! Now. Go as far away as possible. Go half way across the world if you have to. Go now," Niles yelled at the family. Chris seemed to be out of control by now. His eyes were bloodshot and vacant now and every artery, vain and capillary in his body seemed as if it was about to burst open.

"For once, listen to me," Niles pleaded. But the witches only stared in confusion and horror.

"Ella, please talk to him. Try to remind him of his feelings for you. You're the only one who can save us all now. You need to get him to calm down," Niles pleaded to the newly arisen girl.

"Chris! Look at me. You saved me. I'm OK. You need to calm down now. You're really beginning to scare me. Chris, please. Listen to my voice. Calm down," Ella said in a soothing voice. The curse affecting her body hadn't been lifted yet. And despite her resurrection, she was still blind. Without thinking further, she leaned closer. Her lips touched his ever so lightly. She waited for a moment for him to respond.

And respond he did. After a moment's pause, he deepened the kiss. Niles gave a sigh of relief as the blood red lines on Chris's skin receded in moments. If his eyes were open, they would have been able to see that they were back to their brilliant green color. By the time the two parted, Chris didn't show any outward sign that something had gone horribly wrong with him.

"Don't you **EVER** do that again," Niles grabbed a handful of Chris's hair and hissed in a dangerously low growl. Piper scowled at this apparent aggressive action by the stranger but her own instinct had told her that she couldn't possibly fathom the complicated relationship her son had with this mysterious stranger. To her surprise, Chris only nodded affirmative and apologized sheepishly. Knowing that Chris truly understood the implications of his action, Niles let him go.

"What just happened?" Dan was the one to voice the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Are you going to tell them or should I?" Niles asked, a hint of anger still in voice. Chris only gestured his instinct to proceed.

"It is called self-catalytic-chain-reaction. A Catalyst can amplify someone else's powers using his ability. That's the very definition of the Catalyst. In order to bring Ella back from dead, he massively amplified his own healing powers. It was one of the most idiotic things he's ever done. It is forbidden, and for a very good reason. And I'm not talking about personal gain aspect of the act. Amplifying his own powers amplifies his abilities as a Catalyst as well. Which, in turn amplifies his powers further. This is a chain reaction that can and always does get out of control. One of the side effects of exponentially rising power levels is that the affected person looses the ability of rational thought. If Ella hadn't managed to get him to concentrate on their feelings for each other and her own safety, his powers would have grown unhindered. This would eventually have caused catastrophic failure of his magical core. He would have literally went off like a hydrogen bomb. That's the reason I asked all of you to go away as far as you possibly could," Niles explained, now considerably calmed down.

"It's not just your life you risked. Considering the amount of power you possess and amplify before loosing control, the blast would have been enough to take out half of the North American continent," Niles explained.

"But we're in a different dimension," Chris said not meeting Niles's eyes.

"You're not stupid Chris and neither am I. You know very well that every time anyone orbs, shimmers or teleports in or out of the school, it creates a temporary portal in that place and time. Although the portal is temporary, it creates a weak point between the two worlds. A scar if you will. The explosion of your magical core would have been enough to break the boundaries between the two worlds at such weak points. That's why I said only half the continent. If you'd done this back in San Francisco, you would have taken out half the world," Niles said angrily. Chris nodded his understanding.

"It won't happen again," the half elder reassured his instinct. Niles nodded once.

"Wait a minute, Chris, you can see and speak," Phoebe said, realizing the fact for the first time. Chris frowned and glanced up in confusion. With Niles's anger and shock of Ella's resurrection, they hadn't realized the fact that Chris spoke.

"Yes. I can. First thing I remember seeing is Ella as we kissed," the half elder said glancing at her questioningly. She nodded back, smiling. The first thing she remembered seeing was Chris, kissing her.

"I knew it. The true love's kiss breaks the curse," Coop said triumphantly. Carver glanced at Wyatt disbelievingly. The grin on Wyatt's face could rival that of the Cheshire cat.

"_**Come here you,**_" Carver said telepathically as he pulled his boyfriend in his arms and planted a kiss on his lips. Wyatt took a deep breath and opened his eyes. The ecstatic smile on his face was enough to tell everyone that the curse on him was broken as well.

"Well, that was a simple solution," He was looking at Chris disbelievingly. By that time Dan had pulled Prue in his arms and kissed her passionately.

"Well, not simple for everyone," Chris muttered as he turned to Junior. As far as they knew, Junior hadn't found love so far. Everyone was looking at Junior by now with an expression that said 'Oh! You poor virgin.' Junior scowled at them indignantly for a moment before orbing away.

"Where did he go?" Paige said in slight panic. She wasn't able to sense him as her son was obviously blocking her. Wyatt came up empty as well. Paige was looking at Chris expectantly. With his shrewdness and half elder status, it was near impossible for any white-lighter or cupid to block him. Chris was about to sense for his little cousin when Reese spoke up.

"Chris, don't. He'll be back. Trust me," before the half cupid could finish his sentence, Junior was back. To everyone's surprise, his curse was also broken.

"Oh my god! Who is it? Please tell me. You can't keep this from us. Please tell me. Please, please, please…" Phoebe said like a toddler begging for just one more cookie. Junior huffed indignantly.

"I'm not telling any of you," he said crossing his arms over his chest.

Piper silently wiped her eyes. She really missed normal moments like these. The threat of Gideon and that from the unknown big bad the prophecy warned about was still there but right now, at the moment, her family was together, happy and almost content.

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><p><strong>So ends the Seventeenth chapter.<strong>

**I must admit that I went a little overboard with the whole snow-white like curse breaking deal but it was necessary for the progression of the story.**

**Kindly read and review.**


	19. The Ultimate Sacrifice

**Author's Notes:** Thank you all who reviewed and/or added me/this story to their favorites.

This is the final chapter of 'the Catalyst'. It took me two whole years to finish this story, but I'm finally concluding the first arc. Hopefully, the sequel will see more frequent updates.

**Charmed Auranae:** I'm glad you liked it. Junior's love interest was deliberately kept under the wraps and will be revealed in the sequel. I haven't given it much thought as to whom Reese is going to end up with. But I'll think of someone.

**ReCharmed:** Niles was introduced in the chapter 'The Watcher's Disciple' and his true identity was revealed (although at the moment only Chris knows it) in the chapter 'The Instinct'. Junior's love interest will be revealed in the sequel. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Crystalzap:** I heard from you after a very long time. I'm glad you haven't lost interest in my story. It may seem a bit too convenient that Junior had a lover that nobody knew about (Well, except Reese. He's a half cupid, after all). However, there is a very good reason why no Halliwell other than Reese knows about who it is. It's definitely someone Junior doesn't think his family will approve of, hence the utmost secrecy.

**lizardmomma:** I'm glad you liked it. I was not familiar with 'Once upon a time'. I googled it after I read your review. Usually I'm not home when it's aired but fortunately I found the first two seasons on Netflix. And so far, I like it.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

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><p><strong>The Ultimate Sacrifice<strong>

The moment embodied the normality Piper craved so much. And she knew, considering their history and her family's reputation in the magical world, that it was too much to hope for, too much to expect that it would last longer than it did. Little did she know, that it would be a very long time before she would experience such normalcy, if ever.

"Touching, very touching family moment. Too bad it has to end now," came a distinctly familiar and pretentious voice from the library door. All the witches whirled around to face the intruder. Gideon was standing there, looking surprisingly normal. For anyone who hadn't known the history, Gideon still looked as much a headmaster of the school as he did twenty-three years ago.

Piper immediately flicked her hands in her signature attacking gesture and tried to blast the source into tiny molecules. It wouldn't stop him, she knew. But it would give her family a few moments to prepare. To her horror, Gideon was still standing.

"I have survived 'the power of four' spell. Do you honestly think that your pathetic power will make any difference?" Gideon asked smugly. Paige's eyes widened. 'The power of four,' she thought. They had only used a 'power of four' spell once in the evil mirror world.

"You! You're not the Gideon from this world. You're from the mirror world," she gasped. Phoebe quickly caught on to Paige's train of thought. After all, she was there. Piper seemed a bit confused. Gideon smiled wickedly.

"Yes. The lady intervened when Leo tried to kill the elder white-lighter Gideon. She prevented Leo from killing him. Instead, she altered his memories to make him think that he did. She swapped our places. She sent your Gideon to that world while she brought me here," the source explained.

"Then how come the balance was restored?" Junior asked curiously. Wyatt stared at him disbelievingly. They were facing the most powerful source the world had seen so far, a source who seemed immune to his mother's power and his little cousin was asking doubts as if he was in a class in the magic school. Well technically he was in the magic school but that was beside the point. Chris was the one to answer the question.

"Because Gideon of this world was no longer a being a of pure goodness. He had done good deeds in his time and had achieved the ranks of an elder. But he had fallen far from that when He tried to kill an innocent child. He would be considered morally neutral. His descent into madness was gradual enough so as to not cause major shift in the balance. The other world had enough time to catch up. While this Gideon was still evil. The 'great evil' that restored the balance was the introduction of this Gideon to our world. While introduction of morally neutral elder Gideon to the other world did not contribute to the shift," Chris explained. Gideon was reluctantly impressed.

"You always were considered the sharpest one in the Halliwell clan," the source remarked.

"But wouldn't trying to kill the evil baby Wyatt make him morally neutral as well?" Junior asked. Chris shook his head. He gave Wyatt a meaningful look, which his big brother understood instantly.

"Babies as young as Wyatt was at the time are neither good nor evil. They're not capable of understanding the concept. They're clay to be molded. Whether a baby grows to be good or evil is irrelevant. The act of hurting a baby like that itself is irredeemably evil," Chris explained. Gideon was nodding in approval. Despite being the source, at root he was still a teacher and couldn't help but enjoy the intelligent observations made by the half elder. Chris's only goal was to keep the source distracted. His mom's power was ineffective and they needed to distract Gideon in order to trap him. Dan had caught on to Chris and Junior's distraction tactics as he noticed Wyatt telekinetically orbing a crystal in place.

"Then what did you mean when you said that you'll be free of this burden?" Dan asked remembering the curious comment made by the source just before he branded him on the chest with the amulet of binding agreement. At the time, he had simply assumed that the king of demons had lost his marbles.

"Do you really think that I want to remain trapped in this predominantly good world? A World where true demons have to hide under the ground? I only accepted the Lady's offer because I want to be the one to destroy the power of two," Gideon answered glaring at Dan. Wyatt had, by now, orbed all the crystals in place.

And it seemed to have worked for a moment. As soon as Wyatt had orbed the crystals and surrounded the source, the cage snapped into existence. Gideon's face was momentarily contorted with rage but he quickly schooled his features.

"Do you honestly think this will stop me? Seriously, I expected more from you," Gideon commented before calling for one of the crystals. The crystal dissolved into black orbs before materializing in the source's outstretched hand. The cage was broken and he was free.

"You'll all die," Gideon declared as he fired up a fireball. At that moment, Niles stepped up and raised both his hands, fingers stretched forwards. White-hot electricity shot from his hands and hit the source.

"Cast it now!" Niles told Chris who understood what spell his instinct was telling him to cast and nodded. He relayed the instruction to his brother over their bond. Chris held Wyatt's right hand with his left and the two began chanting his legendary time-stop spell. The Duration of the effect of the spell depends upon the caster's power. If Wyatt or Chris cast it individually, it would give them about ten seconds. But if they cast it as a 'power of two' spell, they should get considerably longer lasting effect.

The flow of time, formidable an exact,

The world changes too quick to react,

Make it appear as if it's frozen,

Quicken the clock for me and my chosen.

They concentrated on keeping Junior out of its influence as their 'chosen'. Niles was unaffected as well, as he was a part of Chris. Wyatt didn't understand the fact but he simply assumed that Chris must have chosen both Niles and Junior to be left out of the spell's influence. Besides, he didn't exactly have the time to ponder over the fact. The fireball thrown by the source at Chris appeared to have been frozen midair as well. Chris quickly stepped out of the would-be path of the magical projectile and handed a small piece of parchment to Wyatt. Without being prompted, Junior began orbing his frozen family back to the manor and out of harm's way. He was confident that Gideon didn't stand a chance against the power of two.

"That spell I gave you should work as long as we stab him with the Excalibur and the Equalizer after we cast it," Chris informed his brother as he summoned the broken sword. Wyatt complied and summoned the Excalibur.

Wyatt and Chris began chanting.

We speak as one, the Catalyst and the King,

To use our powers and the lifelong learning,

Death is his only way to atone,

So we strike him down with the sword in stone,

The source that commands a demon hoard,

We strike him down with the broken sword.

The time stop spell dissipated just as soon as Wyatt and Chris finished chanting. Gideon was confused for a moment, as he hadn't heard the time-stop spell being cast. One moment, all the witches were within his grasp and the next, they were all gone except the annoying king and the Catalyst. Not to mention the future boy, Niles. The two brothers were holding their respective swords, ready to strike. In order for his plan to work, one way or another, he needed all the Halliwells in one place. That's why he had cursed them with the arrows made from the totem. He knew that they will find a way to break the spell but they'll most likely do so at the school, in the sense of false security. They'll be together and that's when he'd attacked.

"What in hell…" Gideon mumbled scowling. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, Wyatt and Chris plunged their respective swords into the source's stomach. Thin blood-red lines appeared radiating from the sword wounds and spread all over his body. In an instant the lines turned fiery gold. Gideon howled in rage as soon as he realized what had happened.

"You think this will matter? I will still destroy you. If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me. I just wish your entire family was here," the source growled. At that very moment Niles stepped forward and stood in front of Chris and Wyatt. He raised both his hands, palms stretched forward. The air around Gideon shimmered for a moment before a silver color grid appeared between the witches and their enemy. The shimmering silver grid wrapped itself around the source like fishing net. In a moment, the source exploded into a massive blast. Niles gave a cry of pain as his knees buckled and he sank to the floor, all the while keeping the grid up and containing the blast. Chris, quite understandably, wasn't fairing any better.

"What the hell is that?" Wyatt asked staring at the silver grid in amazement. His eyes began to water due to the brightness of the explosion. And yet, the grid was brighter still. Looking at his collapsed brother, Wyatt quickly grabbed Chris under his arms and held him up against his body.

"No time to explain. You two get out of here. I'll keep the explosion contained as long as I can," Niles gasped through apparent pain. Niles was sweating profusely by now as keeping up the grid to contain the massive explosion was considerably taxing. However, Wyatt didn't understand why his brother was in a similar state. Without thinking twice, he orbed back to the manor with his brother.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell are Chris and Wyatt?" Piper asked astonished as the time-stop spell wore off. The last thing she remembered was the fact that she and her family were standing in the library at the magic school and Gideon had showed up. The source was about to throw a fireball at her son. And now she was here, standing in the attic, surrounded by the rest of her family except her sons. Everyone present in the attic except Junior seemed equally flummoxed. So she turned her questioning gaze towards her nephew.<p>

"Well?" she prompted as Henry Jr. failed to answer immediately.

"Wyatt and Chris cast a time-stop spell as Niles distracted him. I know Chris has written a vanquishing spell for Gideon. It's a power of two spell and the two have their swords with them. So I really don't think there is any reason to be worried, aunt Piper," Junior assured his aunt. Piper, without another word, rushed out of the attic and towards the door in the middle of the stairs that led to the magic school. She wasn't going to let her sons fight the greatest evil alone while she stayed safe back at the manor.

"Sweetie, they'll be back in no time," Phoebe reassured her big sister as she tried to stop Piper from storming the school to face Gideon again. Piper's powers were useless against him and for some reason; Gideon had decided to face them alone. She was reasonably certain that Chris and Wyatt were more than capable of vanquishing the source.

"Aunt Phoebe is right..." Junior began but before his sentence was complete, blue and white orbs filled the place in front of the magical door that led to the school. It was Wyatt and Chris. The twice blessed was holding his little brother upright but anyone could see that Chris was quite clearly in a lot of pain and couldn't stand on his own.

"What the hell happened?" Paige asked her nephew as she joined her son in trying to heal Chris.

"He's not physically hurt. I think its magical exhaustion..." Wyatt began explaining his theory as to why Chris was in so much pain. However, within moments, Chris came back to normal and all his pain seemed to go away as if by magic. The very next moment, Niles orbed in and helped Wyatt get Chris downstairs to a sofa. Chris lay down in exhaustion.

"What happened to Gideon? and What kind of power was that?" Wyatt asked Niles still a bit suspicious.

"Gideon had cast a spell on himself that allowed him to detonate his magical core, just like Chris's would have from the self-catalytic-chain-reaction. The detonation triggered as soon as you two vanquished him. HIs plan was to kill all of you, one way or another," Niles explained.

"What do you mean, one way or another?" Reese was the one to ask the question. Niles took a deep breath.

"If Chris and Wyatt hadn't managed to vanquish him, he would have killed all of you, one by one. But should the inevitable happen, the detonation of this magical core would have killed all of you instantaneously. He didn't count on Chris and Wyatt casting a time-stop spell and the Junior orbing all of you out of there. When he did detonate, I used my powers to contain the explosion long enough for Wyatt and Chris to escape," Niles explained.

"And how did you escape?" Wyatt asked. Niles gave him a smirk.

"I can't tell you that. Future consequences," Chris's instinct answered. Wyatt was about to argue further but Chris interrupted. He knew that the reason he had collapsed was because Niles had pulled a lot of power from him. But as long as Chris existed, Niles, being his instinct, was invincible.

"That's not important, Wy. The only thing that matters is the fact that he saved us. And I really wish you get over your issues with Niles already. Hasn't he proven his good intensions yet?" Chris asked his big brother. Wyatt nodded reluctantly.

"So everything is as it should be?" Chris asked turning to Niles. Seeing the grave expression on his face, Chris knew that everything was far from normal.

"The problem is contained for now but not for long. We need to find a more permanent solution," he answered cryptically.

"What the hell do you mean? Please speak in simple language. I have no energy to solve your riddles," Phoebe said tiredly.

"The detonation of Gideon's magical core is not as powerful as Chris's would have been. But it's still powerful. Right now, it is contained in the magic school, in another plane of existence. You could think of magic school as a balloon filled with water. Except, Gideon had a lot of magic and the balloon is still filling up and expanding, rapidly. The theory of orbing, portals and weak points, applies here as well. Think of it as the weak places on the balloon walls. If they are not patched up in time, it will burst there and the explosion and the devastating power will pour unhindered into our world, destroying everything in its wake. We need to figure out a way to contain the explosion in a more lasting manner and soon," Niles elaborated.

"Sooner than you might think," came Prue's voice from the bottom of the stairs. She was staring in horror at the door to the school. The door seemed to be glowing red as if it was about to burst into flames. Despite being a wooden door, the heavy oak wood was protected by strongest of wards, as it had to withstand the pulls of two different dimensions.

"Quickly, you need to strengthen the wards on the door," Niles told the sisters. Without thinking, the sisters used the power of three to protect the door and to keep the explosion away from the manor. Slowly the appearance of the door went back to being inconspicuous as the spell took effect.

"How long do we have?" Junior asked.

"If my calculations are correct, no more than six hours. And we'll have to keep an eye out for reports of fire throughout the City," Niles said grimly.

"Why limit to the city?" Dan asked Niles but Junior was the one who answered.

"Most of the students are from around San Francisco. It would make sense if most of the week points were within the city. That is where the barrier between the two dimensions is more likely to breach," the blond witch-lighter said. Chris nodded in agreement.

"Alright, people, we've work to do. Uncle Henry, could you please be in touch with your friends in the fire department and the police station to find out if there are any freak fires within the city? Grandpa, please watch the news and do the same. I assume all student records are at magic school and subsequently destroyed. Aunt Paige, could you please try and figure out a way to contact as many students as possible? Especially the ones with any kind of teleporting ability. If they have frequently teleported to their homes, there is a greater probability of having a weak point at their homes. They could be in danger. Prue, Reese, Mom and aunt Phoebe, please be ready to teleport to any of the potential breaches so as to seal the barrier breakdown before it becomes too bad. Junior and I will research a permanent solution to our current problem. Wy and Carv, please keep an eye on the aunt's houses. And take Penny and Patty with you. We don't want the houses to burn down before we find a way to fix it," Chris took charge of the situation. Trusting in his leadership abilities, everyone complied without question.

* * *

><p>"Can we orb the explosion to the moon or something?" Junior asked frowning. He himself wasn't too sure of his suggestion. Chris rolled his eyes.<p>

"It's a pretty massive explosion. An explosion of this scale won't go unnoticed. We'll have more trouble with the cleaners when the observatories in mortal world take notice of it," Chris shot down his cousin's idea.

"OK, then how about orbing it into the sun itself? They'll probably think it's a coronal mass ejection or something. No one will know," Henry Jr. suggested.

"I'm not sure if there is a way for us to 'orb it' anywhere without killing ourselves in the process. You haven't seen the explosion but I have. Judging from the amount of efforts it took on Niles's part to contain it for just a few seconds, I don't think a simple solution like 'orbing it somewhere' is going to be practical," Chris observed. Junior was disappointed.

"We don't even have access to the library anymore. Can you imagine the amount of knowledge simply destroyed because of one demon's conviction to kill us?" Junior said dejected. The library at the magic school was one of his favorite places. Chris shook his head.

"The knowledge is not necessarily gone, at least not all of it anyway. There are other magic schools and similar institutions throughout the world. I know for a fact that there are at least three in Europe and five in Asia and the Indian subcontinent. There could be more we're unaware of. Given time, we can recover the knowledge and bring the magic school back up and running. At the moment, time is precisely what we don't have," Chris said. Junior nodded in understanding.

"OK what about the spell Merlin taught you? What does it do? Do you think it'll be useful?" Junior asked. Chris's face was intense as if he was trying to remember some key piece of information, as if he was trying to remember how to solve a particular puzzle that he had mastered before.

"What is it?" Junior prompted. Chris shook his head.

"I'm not entirely sure. I asked Merlin what the spell does and he simply told me that I'd know when the time is right. It was in some ancient, obscure language. The spell would be more effective if I know the meaning and the function of it. So I began translating it," Chris told his cousin.

"Well, what does it mean?" Junior asked when Chris went back to being silent for long moments.

"I don't yet know," Chris answered. But looking at the shine in his eyes, Junior knew that he was on the verge of figuring it all out.

* * *

><p>For the next three hours or so, All the Halliwells worked together like a well-oiled machine. Henry Sr. had a few contacts in the fire department and one of them was a witch and one his wife's former charges named Jesse. They had to find him another white-lighter after the next generation of Halliwell witches came of age and Paige became too busy with her own family. But Jesse had remained friends with the family through the years. He was only too happy to warn them of any freak fires that could have a magical origin. Victor was watching three news channels alternately to find out about any fires in the city outskirts.<p>

Whenever they suspected that the fire was a result of failure of a weak point, Piper, Phoebe, Reese, Prue and whoever else was available at the moment, would teleport there and use their considerable magic to try and seal the tear between the dimensions. They knew very well that they couldn't keep doing it too long. But while Chris and Junior were working on the solution, they didn't really have another choice.

Wyatt, Carver and Ella kept an eye on any breaches in Paige and Phoebe's houses. Considering the fact that all the Halliwells had constantly teleported in an out of the magic school in these three houses, there was the greatest chance of breach there. It made sense to keep the three there on constant watch.

* * *

><p>"I'm worried for them," Piper said at last. Phoebe put an arm around her sister comfortingly.<p>

"I know sweetheart. But they're the power of two. Together, they're the strongest witches in the history. They'll be all right. Besides, Chris is the smartest. Have you ever known him to fail in finding the answer he was looking for? Don't worry. It'll be all alright," Phoebe reassured her sister.

"How can I not worry, Phoebs? Last time he faced Gideon, he got himself killed…" Piper's worried rant was cut short by Paige.

"Piper, last time he was all alone. This time, he has his entire family with him. We won't let anything bad happen to him. Either of them," Paige said with a reassuring smile. Piper nodded as her sisters pulled her in a three-way hug.

* * *

><p>"We're OK, right?" Wyatt asked Carver. The telepath rolled his eyes.<p>

"We're more than OK Wyatt. Don't worry about it. Right now, we need to focus on containing the ever-growing fireball at the school. We'll have time to iron out any wrinkles in our relationship later," Carver told his boyfriend as he scanned the walls once again for any suspicious looking tears.

"I know, it's just that we were interrupted before our argument was over…" Wyatt tried again. Carver narrowed his eyes.

"Our argument was over. We were about to kiss, remember? And we did kiss and makeup afterwards. The fact that you can see and hear and that I can speak is proof enough. Now, pay attention to the task at hand," Carver said in a rather stern voice. Wyatt pouted and huffed. But he knew Carver had a smile on his face when he turned around.

* * *

><p>"Odie, I need a favor," Chris said while flipping through the book. Henry Jr. glanced at him questioningly. They both knew that Chris didn't really have to ask anything of his little cousin. Junior would have done anything for Chris.<p>

"Well, go on," Junior prompted when Chris didn't actually ask for what ever he needed done.

"I need you to go to this school in the Siberia and research something in their library. There is a book on portals written by Merlin himself. Magic school had the original but I believe this Siberian branch of Wizerding school has a copy as well. Look into the section regarding the strongest of the portals and find out what it says about the connection between shattering of souls and creation of portals," Chris said a bit hesitantly.

"Why do you want to know about shattering of one's soul? Surely nothing good will come of such spell if it involves destroying oneself," Junior said narrowing his eyes. He didn't like where this was going.

"Of course. But there might be some workaround. It's worth looking into. While you find out what you can there, I need to do some thinking on Merlin's spell. We don't have time to work on everything together. We need to divide and conquer," Chris said in a reassuring tone. Junior wasn't entirely certain that Chris wasn't planning to do something insane. But then again, the soul shattering seemed more dangerous option and Chris was sending Junior to research it instead of insisting on researching it himself. Junior was certain that Chris would have demanded to research on it himself if he intended to use such dangerous magic on his own soul. There was only one flaw in this reasoning. He didn't know what Merlin's spell did, exactly.

* * *

><p>Chris orbed to the top of the golden gate bridge. He heard his brother's inquiry over their link as to what Chris was doing there. Chris was mildly irritated that his brother was keeping tabs on him. But he reassured Wyatt that he needed an isolated place in order to think more clearly. Knowing that Chris often visited the bridge whenever he needed some space, Wyatt accepted the explanation and went back to his guard duty over their aunt's houses.<p>

"I know you're there," Chris said without turning around.

"How in the world did you know? Did your instinct tell you? Oh wait, did I tell you?" Niles asked chuckling. Chris laughed openly.

"I need your advice," Chris said after he settled himself on one of the beams.

"That's why I'm here," Niles said sitting besides Chris.

"I know you were the one to tell Merlin to teach me the spell. You obviously knew this was going to happen," Chris had phrased it as a statement but Niles nodded affirmative in response.

"Does the spell do what I think it does?" Chris asked. Niles nodded again.

"So you're essentially telling me that I need to shatter my soul and use the resultant magical void to create a powerful portal that will transport and contain Gideon's detonating magic?" Chris wanted to make sure he was reading the situation correctly. After all, even though Niles was a part of him, he was also from the future. Surely, he knew how it had turned out.

"That is correct," Niles answered calmly.

"Isn't your instinct supposed to prevent you from doing something so stupid? Aren't you all about self preservation?" Chris asked raising his eyebrows. Niles smiled.

"Instinct works towards achieving your deepest desires. On many occasions that desire is to live, to survive. However, there are moments, when you do something instinctively that is not necessarily aimed towards self preservation. As an example, do you remember a year ago, a dark-lighter was about to shoot Junior? You stepped in front of him to protect him. That was I, prompting you to take the arrow yourself. It could have killed you but your strongest desire at the moment was not your own survival but that of your little brother. I know you want to protect your family more than protecting yourself. And you also know that there is no other feasible way to do it," Niles answered. Chris was thoughtful for a moment.

"I have a couple of more questions…" Chris said but Niles interrupted him.

"First you need to talk to Ella about what you're going to do. She deserves a face-to-face explanation not a bloody letter like the one you're planning to write to the rest of the family. I'll be around to talk to you when you're ready," Niles said sternly. Chris nodded understandingly and orbed away.

* * *

><p>As soon as Junior returned from his research expedition in Siberia, he went straight up to the attic. To his surprise, Chris wasn't there. He tried to sense the half elder but came up empty. Without thinking, he sensed for Wyatt and orbed straight to the twice blessed.<p>

"Junior, calm down. And tell me what happened. Take a deep breath," Wyatt said after listing to a couple of minutes to Junior's frantic rambling about soul and portals and everything in between. Junior closed his eyes and a lone tear trickled down his cheek.

"Chris asked me to do some research about some spell that shatters one's soul and is somehow used to create a powerful portal. I didn't think much of it at the time. We were just brainstorming about ways to get rid of Gideon's magic. I guess he was thinking of creating a portal to another dimension just like magic school. Only this one was supposed to be uninhabited. Since there is no teleportation in and out of it which means there won't be weak points and there won't be as much danger to our world," Junior said it in one breath. Wyatt was thoughtful.

"That sounds like a good idea. But what does it have to do with soul and shattering?" the twice blessed asked.

"It is very difficult to create a portal to another dimension that is not inhabited. The amount of magical energy required would be enormous…" Junior began but Carver interrupted him.

"But Chris and Wy have the power of two at their disposal. Wouldn't that be powerful enough? If so it's just a matter of creating a spell to accomplish it," the telepath said. Wyatt nodded in agreement with his boyfriend.

"According to the references I found in the library Chris sent me to, it's not that simple. The author of the book didn't know about the power Chris and Wyatt possess. To him, the only way to create such a portal is to have a magical being, like a witch, willingly shatter their soul. The magical void such an act creates is enough to create a portal with the properties we want," Junior elaborated.

"The author didn't know about the power of two but Chris does. He knows how powerful we are together. You cannot seriously be imagining that Chris intended to shatter his soul to accomplish something we can accomplish by casting a 'power of two' spell. Chris has some wild plans sometimes, but he's not that crazy," Wyatt said in a reassuring tone. Junior shook his head, his desperation evident in his demeanor.

"There is another problem and I'm sure Chris is aware of it. The portal to such place has to be powerful and there has to be an imbalance of magical energy on the two sides. The portal has to suck in Gideon's magic like a vacuum cleaner. The problem is that even if Wyatt and Chris are able to open such portal, they'll have to be very near to it when it opens and it will suck them both in along with Gideon's magic. Do you honestly think Chris will agree to a plan that will hurt you in anyway?" Junior asked Wyatt. The twice blessed sank down on the sofa. Carver began comforting his boyfriend. He knew Junior had a legitimate reason to worry but his mind wasn't ready to consider that possibility that Chris might have something this extreme in mind.

"But he was here just ten minutes ago. I didn't sense any turmoil from him over our bond," Wyatt said shaking his head.

"Do you honestly think Chris, of all people, hasn't figured out how to block his emotions from reaching you over the bond? He may not do it constantly as it would make you suspicious but with his memories unlocked, do you imagine him letting all the emotions he's been feeling reach you?" Junior said gravely. Wyatt's heart sank further.

"What did he say when he was here?" Junior asked Wyatt after a moment of silence.

"Nothing. He just told Ella that he needed to talk to her in private. And then the two orbed away. I don't know where he is; he's blocking me. But I assumed he wanted some privacy while he talks to Ella," Wyatt said realizing he might have misread the situation.

"OK, Wyatt. Don't panic. Get mom and the aunts. We need to scry for him. If we don't find him, we need to summon his ass back to the manor. Go," the blond witch-lighter ordered. Ironically, he was the one panicking just a few minutes ago and now he was the one taking charge.

* * *

><p>Chris had orbed Ella to a small opening at the edge of a pine forest. In front of them, spread one of the most beautiful lakes Ella had ever seen. It was the dead of winter and the peaks on the other side of the lake were covered with snow and shone brightly in the evening sun. The blue water of the lake was calm and almost as still as the surface of a mirror. The reflections of the snow-covered peaks were undisturbed. Ella was watching in amazement. She held her breath momentarily before turning to Chris. He was smiling at her fondly. She glanced at the grass at his feet. This was weird.<p>

"But it's the winter. Ground is covered with snow all around us. How do you have green grass here in the middle of the winter? I don't even feel the cold," She asked him astonished.

"Just a little magic," he answered mischievously.

"You defrosted a whole lake?" She asked raising her eyebrows. Chris shook his head.

"It's some geological phenomenon that keeps the lake from freezing. Something to do with underwater sources of heat. I just changed the weather in this ten foot radius," Chris explained.

"But that's personal gain…" she began but her argument was forgotten as soon as his lips touched hers. After a long moment, Chris spoke up.

"I don't care about personal gain. I just want to spend some time with you," He said pulling her closer. Ella smiled. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. Chris planted a soft kiss on the top of her head.

"Shall we?" he said gesturing at the quilt laid at some distance. There was a picnic basket with her favorite food and two flasks. She assumed they contained their favorite beverages, hot chocolate for her and black coffee for him. Ella was beginning to worry by now. She knew what kind of trouble they were in and it was very unlike Chris to indulge in such comforts when innocent lives were at stake. She knew they were running out of time. And Chris seemed calm as ever. It could mean only one thing; Chris already had a solution. But then why wasn't he getting rid of Gideon's magic once and for all before… She broke that line of thought. The implications were too horrible. And she didn't want to think about it.

"What is it Chris? You're scaring me," She said at last as he handed her a sandwich. He avoided eye contact.

"It's nothing. Could we just enjoy the moment while we can?" he asked with a hint of desperation in his voice. She swallowed a lump that formed in her throat.

"Chris, look at me," She said holding his hand in hers. He complied. Ella couldn't read any emotions in his otherwise expressive eyes. But that could only mean that he was hiding his real feelings, which was never a good thing.

"What is it? Tel me. Don't you think I deserve to know what's going on with you?" she asked earnestly. Chris thought he saw a hint of tears in her deep brown eyes. He broke eye contact and stared at the lake for long moments.

"I'm sorry," he said at long last. Ella frowned. As far as she knew, Chris hadn't done anything to warrant an apology. Unless he's apologizing in advance, her paranoid mind provide helpfully.

"For what?" she asked softly. She gently grabbed his chin and forced him to look her in the eye.

"For what I'm about to do. I would change it all if I could but I really don't have a choice…" Chris's rant was cut short by Ella.

"Chris what are you talking about?" She asked desperate to understand why he was hurting so much.

"I have to leave all of you," he said, his voice barely above whisper. Ella's heart sank at those words. It was sheer force of will that kept her from breaking down. Chris slowly explained to her that the only way to get rid of Gideon's magic was to create a massively powerful portal that would suck in the exploding magical core of the source and lock it away forever. He also told her how himself and Wyatt were the only two people powerful enough to cast such a spell and that once the portal was opened, it would suck both of them in along with Gideon's magic. Her first intuition was right. He had a solution but it wasn't a good one.

"So you are telling me that the only way out is for you and Wyatt to sacrifice yourselves in order to save the world?" She asked hoping against all odds that it wasn't the only way. Chris took a deep breath.

"There is another way but it will only save one of us not both," he answered avoiding her gaze. And then it dawned on her. Chris was planning to sacrifice himself to save his family and ultimately the whole world. Ella was speechless. She couldn't believe that after all this time, she got to be with the boy of her dreams and the destiny would be so cruel as to snatch him away from her within just a few hours. On one hand, she was devastated, and on the other, she was proud of him. Chris didn't even realize that he was holding his breath, waiting for her response. Ella held his face in both her hands and looked him right in the eye.

"Take me with you," she said resolutely. The expression on Chris's face changed to horrified in moments.

"What? No! You can't be serious…" his rant was cut short by the kiss Ella planted on his lips.

"I love you. And I want to be with you. No matter where you are," She told him in no uncertain voice. Chris shook his head vehemently. He closed his eyes for long moments. When he opened them, Ella was staring at him resolutely.

"OK. You need to know something else. But you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about it. I didn't want to burden you either but you leave me no choice," Chris said. Ella was reluctant at first but Chris was insistent that she makes a promise of secrecy. After the part dragon promised to keep his secret, Chris told her about Niles's real identity. How he was sure that he will be back from where ever he was going but he couldn't be certain of her fate if she followed him. Ella found it a bit difficult to believe in this outlandish tale but the honesty and sincerity in Chris's eyes convinced her, eventually.

"I don't want you to leave," Ella said at last sobbing in his chest. Despite his assurance that he'll be back she wasn't ready to part with him.

"But I have to. And you need to be brave," he said wiping her tears. She nodded reluctantly.

"I'll be waiting for you," she whispered. Chris winced.

"Ella, I don't expect…" Chris began but was interrupted by his girlfriend.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," she hissed. Chris smiled and kissed her one last time before sending her off to the manor through blue and white orbs. In a minute, he orbed away too. He had much to do.

* * *

><p>"Now will you answer my questions?" Chris asked his instinct.<p>

"Within reason, sure," Niles answered.

"You said when you first arrived at the manor that you served someone named 'the watcher'. Now that I know your real identity, would you tell me who really sent you?" Chris asked, staring intently at Niles.

"I'm the watcher's disciple. And the watcher sent me here. It's not a lie," Niles answered with an unemotional mask in place.

"But for all intents and purposes, you are me. And I do not see myself serving someone like you claim to be in service of this illusive watcher guy. You called him 'your master' if I remember correctly," Chris asked scowling. He was a powerful witch and he never served anyone. He respected his parents and aunts and people older and wiser than him. But he was a proud independent witch-lighter. He was no servant.

"I cannot tell you much more about the watcher. Let's just say that he's the only one who knows how to bring you back after what you're about to do. I carryout the watcher's wishes so as to bring you back to the land of the living," Niles answered. Chris was intrigued by this answer.

"So there is a way to bring me back after I shatter my soul? That's why you're helping me. You know how this is going to turn out," Chris observed. He had told it to Ella but he didn't dare believe it himself. Niles smiled and nodded.

"There is, of course. You told that to Ella, didn't you? The watcher will help me do it. Don't look at it as forced servitude to the watcher. I'm only doing my job," Niles said simply. But Chris couldn't help but think that there was something more to that statement. However, he couldn't read between the lines.

"Why do you trust this watcher guy so much? I mean, how do you know that he isn't going to go back on his word?" Chris asked.

"I can't tell you that. All you need to know is that I'll bring you back. That's why I'm here in the past," Niles assured Chris who nodded in return.

"Another thing. You seem to be far more powerful than I am. I have no idea what kind of power you used to contain the detonation long enough to let Wyatt and me escape. How's that?" Chris asked.

"I'm from the future, remember?" Niles said as if that explained everything.

" Does that mean I will develop those powers in the future? But If you're serving the watcher to bring me back, How could I develop powers while being dead?" the half elder asked again. Looking at the expression on Niles's face, he knew he wasn't going to get a proper answer.

"I can't answer that. Future consequences," Niles said raising his eyebrows. The expression suggesting that Chris, of all people, should know better than to ask such questions.

"And I suppose you're not going to tell me how you came to be a distinct physical entity either?" Chris asked, not really expecting an answer. Niles smiled and shook his head negative.

"So is there anything you can tell me?" Chris asked irritated. He was now understanding exactly how his mother felt when he used to utter one of the most hated phrases in the Halliwell household, 'future consequences'.

"The only thing I can tell you is that it's all going to work out OK. Your family loves you and they're going to do everything in their power to fix the future. And I'm going to help them do it," Niles reassured.

"Will you still be able to stay when I'm gone?" Chris asked. He had assumed that Niles would be invincible while he was alive and well while he wouldn't even exist if he was dead.

"You're present in the future. My existence is tied to you, the future you. I can pull power from you and share everything I share with your future version but my existence is not dependent on the present you. So yes, I'll be around," Niles elaborated. Chris nodded understandingly.

"I have just one last request," Chris said after a long moment of silence. Niles watched him expectantly. He knew exactly what Chris was going to ask but he decided to let him speak his mind.

"Please, take this letter and put it in the book where that time travel spell was supposed to be. I took the spell out because I know for a fact that my crazy family will decide to travel back in time to fix this. They'll find this letter when they do," Chris told his instinct, handing him a piece of parchment. Niles nodded solemnly.

"I will. And don't worry. I'll keep an eye out for them, especially Wyatt and Junior. No matter how much your big brother dislikes me," Niles promised. Chris smiled and nodded thankfully.

* * *

><p>In the end, it could be vanity, pride in his own work, but Chris decided to use the spell he had devised instead of the one that Merlin had given him. Or may be it was his neurosis that prevented him from trusting someone else's spell work when so much was at stake. Chris had found a weak point that was far away from his home and at a place where his family was unlikely to find him. He had cast some spells that prevented them from summoning him, knowing that would be the first thing they'll do once they found out what he was planning. After a moment, Chris took a deep breath and began chanting the spell. It was now or never.<p>

Holding this madness is my ultimate goal,

So preserve the vessel and shatter the soul.

Create a portal to a remote place,

Transport the madness without leaving a trace.

Nothing happened for a moment. The tear in front of him was getting bigger and within moments, he knew, he will be sucked into a fiery death. But suddenly he began feeling lightweight, as if he was floating. He felt as if something broke inside him and an unimaginable pain erupted in his chest. The only thing he realized through the haze of pain was the fact that his body had fallen limply to the ground while he was floating above it. He felt himself changing, transforming. The tear between the dimensions failed catastrophically and the fire leaped towards him. But instead of burning him, he could feel that it was being sucked into him, like a child sucking in the air from an inflated bubblegum. Satisfied, that his goal was accomplished, Chris welcomed the bliss of peaceful oblivion with open arms.

* * *

><p>And Wyatt knew the horrid feeling very well. He'd felt it only once before, when the demon had killed Chris with the Equalizer. It was the same feeling of loneliness, emptiness and more devastatingly, helplessness. 'Shatter the soul' and 'Open the door', Junior's words buzzed in his mind like a hive of angry bees.<p>

Could his brother have done it? Could Chris have left him alone and sacrificed himself to protect the family and the world? He didn't want to believe it was possible but deep down, he knew it to be true. He had felt a jolt of momentary, yet unimaginable pain when their link had snapped shut. His brother was gone.

And Wyatt Halliwell, the mighty twice blessed, fell to his knees.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends the Eighteenth and final chapter.<strong>

I'm sure you guys must be thinking that I've replaced Gideon as the source of all that is evil, judging from the way I ended this story. But believe me when I say that it was absolutely necessary to end the story the way I did. The sequel, called 'The Watcher's Crypt', will pick up from where 'The Catalyst' left off.

And don't worry. Chris is my all time favorite character. I won't kill him. He'll be back. When? You'll have to read the sequel and find out.

The only thing remaining of 'The Catalyst' is a small epilogue. I have decided to break it into two parts. I'm planning to post both of them before 16th of October 2013 (two years since I began writing this story).

**So please keep an eye out for the sequel and kindly read and review.**


	20. Epilogue I : The Letter

**Author's Notes: **This is first of the two epilogues to 'The Catalyst'.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Epilogue I: <strong>The Letter**

"What is it?" Wyatt asked impatiently. Junior's frantic search for the time-travel spell had stopped abruptly. He was staring at a loose piece of parchment, tucked in the pages of the book as if it was about to go off like a bomb.

"Junior, What is it," Wyatt asked again, dreading the answer.

"Chris's letter. To all of us," he said in a voice barely above whisper. He wiped his eyes quickly and without being prompted, began to read it.

* * *

><p>Dear family,<p>

I know you guys are probably angry and disappointed at me at the moment. I can already imagine the reactions from each and every one of you. Wyatt is devastated and blaming himself when he shouldn't. Junior is pissed beyond words for leaving him but he's probably the one reading this letter aloud for everyone. Prue is calling me a coward for writing a letter instead of facing all of you. Mom is probably thinking of travelling to the past and stopping me from doing what I'm about to do. Aunt Paige and aunt Phoebe are probably arguing with Ari and the elders to fix this mess. And Dad is trying to keep everyone from doing something catastrophic.

While reading this paragraph, Junior is unable to keep a small smile from creeping up on his face. Odie, I nailed it, didn't I? You can stop searching for the spell, by the way. I've already removed it from the pages.

Part of the reason I decided to write this letter is that I love you all so much that I'm not sure I'll be able to leave you behind and do what must be done. The other part is that I have to do it while my resolve is still strong. If that makes me a coward, so be it. I'm willing to live with it. (ironic, isn't it?) There are few things I never thought of saying aloud, and I'm not sure if I'll get a chance in the future. I'm writing this letter not only to say goodbye, but also to give each and every one of you, some advice.

I know that Wyatt doesn't trust Niles while Junior seems to like him. And if I have read the signs correctly, the rest of you feel pretty much neutral towards our mysterious friend from the future. I cannot change your minds for you. All I can say is that I'd trust him with my life. I know of his true identity (mom, please don't get angry at me for what I'm about to say) but I cannot reveal it to you guys for one simple reason. You guessed it, future consequences. Sometimes I wish I had someone who vouched for me when I travelled to the past.

Rest of this letter consists of a few things I wish to say to you guys individually. Most of you already know what those things are, without me writing them down explicitly, but still…

Wyatt, what happened to me is not your fault. Get it into that thick skull of yours. I know that this over-protectiveness and the tendency to blame yourself stems from your unconditional love for me and you feel it is your job to protect me. But I'm an adult, Wyatt, and I'm responsible for my actions. I'm doing what I'm about to do because it has to be done and there is nothing you, or anyone else for that matter, could have done to prevent it from happening. Please do not get sucked into the 'what if's'.

Junior, you're the smartest Halliwell. I need you to keep an eye out for Wyatt. He's going to need you, little brother. I know I don't really have to ask you to do it; you'll do it anyway. But it's making me feel a bit better. And I'm sorry I never got to know your secret love interest. And yes, what I told Wyatt goes for you too. It's not your fault.

Mom, I'm so sorry for leaving you the way I'm about to. But I don't have a choice. In both of my lifetimes, you've been the best mom in the world and I love you so much. And you need to know that Perry did too. Despite what happened in the past before you knew who he was. I got a chance to seek closure during my vision but I know that you never did. You need to know that he never blamed you for what happened to him or to Wyatt.

Dad, I have two sets of memories of you, one set is of _Leo_, an elder who chose his work over his son and the other set is of _my dad,_ the man who gave up his destiny as an elder to be with his family. You must know that my memories of _my dad_ are the stronger of the two sets. You're the best dad a kid could ask for.

Aunt Paige and aunt Phoebe, please don't do something drastic like going back through time to stop me. And please don't bug Niles too much for future information. You know he can't tell you everything. I love you two as much as I love mom.

Prue and Reese, be good. And please don't get into too much trouble, as I won't be around to cover for you any more. I think I got you in to trouble myself with that statement, didn't I? I can only imagine aunt Phoebe and uncle Coop grilling you two, demanding to know what I meant by that statement. If it comes down to it, feel free to take down Junior with you. He's just as mischievous as you two, if not more so.

Carver, I hope Evan gets better as the prophecy says. I'm not sure how much of the rest of it is going to be true, now since I won't be around to fulfill it, but I know in my heart that it is going to be true as far as Evan is concerned. In fact, I'm pretty sure that he's there with all of you, getting better already. Wyatt can be a bit daft sometimes. On more than one occasion, I have saved you from having to endure food poisoning from one of his surprise romantic dinners (the ones he cooked himself. You may thank me here). But his heart is in the right place. Please be patient with him.

Dan, you've always been a big brother to me, just like Wyatt but thankfully without his over-protective streak. Believe it or not, during the brief time between when I recognized my feelings for Ella and now, I've considered how it would be to be your brother-in-law. I can only imagine you threatening to do unpleasant things to me, should I ever hurt her. And I ended up doing just that. I know you must be angry with me for leaving and hurting your sister. And I know I deserve it. I only hope you can forgive your unofficial little brother.

Uncle Henry and uncle Coop, I'm sorry I never got a chance to go on that fishing trip you guys were planning. You know I don't like fish personally but it would have been nice to spend a few quiet hours, away from the chaos of the life of a Halliwell witch.

You guys are the best family in the world and it really hurts me to leave you all like this. I know you all love me and I know you know that I love you more.

Yours,

_Chris_.

* * *

><p>Junior finished reading the letter and turned away to hide his tears.<p>

Piper wiped her eyes. She knew she would never be the same. Her family without Chris was like a body without soul, both lifeless and falling apart.


	21. Epilogue II: Bitter Taste of Hope

**Author's Notes: **This is second of the two epilogues to 'The Catalyst'. Next up will be the sequel.

**Disclaimer:** I _do not_ own Charmed or any of its characters except the ones I make up. I _do not_ seek to make profit out of this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue II: Bitter Taste of Hope<strong>

"Why did we have to loose Chris? Hasn't my family lost enough already? Answer me!" Leo demanded. The former elder was livid. In stark contrast, Ari was calm as ever.

"There are few events that are unavoidable. Chris did what had to be done in order to stop Gideon," the 'scion of balance' answered almost condescendingly. This infuriated Leo further.

"He did his job, is that it? He defeated your big bad source and you no longer need him. So you are going to discard him like yesterday's trash?" Leo growled. He was sick and tired of all of the so-called 'angels'.

"When Chris fulfills his destiny, I will make sure he lives a life he deserves. But his fight is far from over, Leo. We still need him to save the world," Ari answered. Leo was confused.

"What are you talking about? Gideon was behind all the recent mayhem. And he's gone," Leo said staring at the angel of destiny, suspiciously.

"Granted, Gideon was behind these attacks. But Leo, who do you think was behind Gideon?" Ari said raising his eyebrows. Leo's eyes widened.

"The lady! The one mentioned in the prophecy!" he whispers. Ari simply nodded.

* * *

><p>"Where did you get that?" Junior asked Wyatt. The twice blessed was startled and tried to hide the diary by quickly closing the drawer. Junior rolled his eyes.<p>

"I've already seen it. So you might as well tell me what you're doing with it," Henry Jr. said sitting besides his cousin. Wyatt closed his eyes for several long moments.

"It's Chris's diary from the past. The one he locked with his life force," Wyatt answered as if confessing to some great sin.

"I know what it is. Where did you get it? I thought Chris orbed it to a volcano," Junior said, with a frown firmly in place.

"I found it a long time ago. I was searching through the attic for something and found this instead. Obviously, I couldn't get it to open. So I conjured a replica and hid it in its place so that mom wouldn't find out. It wouldn't open no matter how much I tried. Eventually I lost interest and forgot about it till mom brought it out. Chris didn't bother to examine it closely; otherwise he would have instantly realized that it was a fake. He destroyed the fake," Wyatt explained.

"And you kept the original despite knowing you can never get it to open while Chris is alive?" Junior asked. Wyatt shrugged.

"I hoped to find some sort of loophole that would allow me to open it while Chris was still alive," Wyatt answered. Junior snorted.

"This is Chris's spell work. Trust me, there is no loophole. At least not one that you or I can find," Junior said with a hint of pride in his tone. Wyatt smiled sadly.

"You're afraid what you're going to find in there?" Junior asked knowingly. Wyatt shook his head as he wiped is tears. And then it dawned on Junior.

"You're afraid it _will open_ now," He said understandingly. Wyatt nodded affirmative. He was staring at the diary as if it was a bomb about to go off. If the diary opened, it would be proof positive that his baby brother was really gone. Junior waited long moments for Wyatt to make a move. When he didn't he took things in his own hands. He picked it up and tried to open it.

"Junior!" Wyatt gasped, scared. He wasn't ready to face the reality. Junior turned away from his big cousin who was trying to snatch the diary from his hands. After a few moments of trying, he turned around... with a smile adorning his handsome face.

The diary _did not_ open…

* * *

><p><em><strong>That's all, folks!<strong>_


	22. Sequel Notification

**Author's Note:** Thank you all who reviewed the last chapters of 'The Catalyst' and followed this story all the way through.

The sequel is up. It's called 'The Watcher's Crypt'. Please do check it out!


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